


The Desert Queen

by orphan_account



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - GTA, GTA!AU, Gen, Implied/Referenced Torture, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Past Torture, Possible future pairings - Freeform, Sexual Content, Slow Build, Smut, rival crews
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-09-09
Updated: 2015-07-21
Packaged: 2018-02-16 18:11:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 18
Words: 42,339
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2279688
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ruling the northern parts of Los Santos and Blaine County with a gruesome reputation you co-exist with the Fake AH Crew. When a heist goes wrong do you reveal and risk yourself to save your rivals from certain death? </p><p>Slow building GTA!AU with a rival crew run by you and two of your friends. Possible future Ryan x reader, future smut/violence/gore.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Introductions

**Author's Note:**

> After so long of trying to find a story like this I finally gave up and wrote one myself. Sorry for all possible typos, as English isn't my first language :)

Oh, how you hated traveling by train. You would trade for a car right now if it only were possible. It was in a car that you felt the safest. Having control over the situation, the thrill of the speed and the endless possibilities. You felt trapped in a train, having nowhere to go if things went south. They always do but that’s the charm of living in Los Santos. Well, to be exact you didn't live in Los Santos anymore. You were eight when your parents moved up north in hopes of escaping the gang wars, the violence and the terror that was Los Santos to anybody not a member in a gang. Too bad they didn't know what would happen when you met two girls in the exact situation that you were in. Too bad their attempt to longer your lifespan would end in you running your own gang.

They called you the Desert Queen as you ruled everything north of LS. And by they you meant everybody living in Los Santos or the county. You were a ghost to them, a highly volatile ghost armed to the teeth. Some claimed to have seen you and lived to tell the tale. But you knew for a fact that none of those tales were true as you had ended most of the idiots who had seen you. Some traveled far to see you in hopes of joining your ranks, some were foolish enough to try to kill you. None of them had succeeded, all of them died except for one leader of a Los Santos crew. The one and only Fake AH crew.

If you asked anybody in Los Santos who they were you would get a few responses if you were lucky enough to get people talking. Some claimed they were brothers from Liberty City. Some claimed they were just monkeys in suits. Some claimed they were Satan themselves. None of that was true. Well maybe the monkey part, but that was just Free.

The gang was led by Geoff Ramsay, a fearless man who grew up in a shady part of Los Santos. He performed his first heist when he was only 12 years old. Spent four years in prison for that and never returned there in the following thirty years. The man himself was a sight to be seen, riddled with tattoos and healed gunshot wounds but the prominent feature was his mustache. Always immaculate, always the goal for childish young gangbangers trying to get big.

His right hand man was Jack Patillo, former pilot in the army. He grew up with Ramsay and was with him on the heist. He was only given a few years and was released when he was 14. It would have been easy for him to cut ties with Ramsay but he stayed loyal to this date. It was both of their idea of him enlisting, partiality to get laid, partially for him to get training in flying in case they needed that for a heist. Both of those came true and he is now the crew’s pilot. He was the one who landed that plane in Downtown Los Santos, if you remember that from the news.

If you ever came in the cross hairs of Ray Narvaes jr. sniper rifle you could kiss your life goodbye. At only 25 years old he was known to be all of Los Santos best shot. He never misses, never hesitates. Not a lot is known about Narvaes past, only that he was the son of a rose farmer up in Paleto Bay and that he met Ramsay and Patillo when he was 18 when running into them trying to escape after a failed robbery attempt in Sandy Shores. They took him under their wing and since then he had been keeping sure that they were covered. He was competent with every possible weapon ever created but he was known to be attached to his pink assault rifle and his rocket launcher if he ever needed to create chaos. He was always seen in a tux with a rose tucked in his pocket. He claimed the rose was there to remind him of his origins.

The Jones’ were added to the crew a few months after Narvaes. Michael Jones was known for his extreme temper and violent outbursts while his sweetheart Lindsay was more quiet but as deadly as Michael. She contributes her hacking skills to the crew and always finds what they need. She is a great driver as well and provides backup in case the crew needs it. Michael on the other hand goes in with guns blazing, not caring what he hits along the way. He’s the crews muscle as well as the explosives expert. One should not forget his driving skills; he’s one of the best drivers in the crew alongside Haywood and Ramsay. As a pair the Jones’ were a sight to be seen, with her hair as red as fire and his curly brown mane, her agility versus his brute strength. They were always seen as the royal couple in Los Santos underground. Nobody knew how they met or where but they are inseparable. It is known that she is from Vinewood and he’s from east Los Santos but rest of their past is unknown.

Ryan Haywood as was mentioned is arguably the best driver in the crew. He worked with the crew a long time before he became officially a member. He is one of the most feared men in Los Santos, if not the most feared. Known for his brutal ways and his preference for torture was enough to scare most of Los Santos. Haywood was what gangbangers had nightmares about. Almost nothing is known about Haywood or his past. The only thing known about Haywood is that he’s originally from the south and that he has some kind of military training. Never to be seen without his mask, he only feeds the uncertainty around him.

Gavin Free is the newest member of the crew. He is known for his good looks and charm as well as his foreign accent. He is the wild card, loyal to death but extremely clumsy and hyper. He bonded immediately with the Jones’ and is under Michael’s protection. They are usually paired together in heists, and Jones’ aggravated yells often follow Free’s screams. Free is incredibly talented at orchestrating chaos and is quick to assess a new situation and find a solution. He has saved his crew multiple times but has also almost got them killed as many times. He’s seen as the weakest link in the crew, although with Jones’ protection he’s safer from attacks.

Although they seemed utterly random and in times stupid, the Fake AH Crew was a force to be reckoned with. The crew ruled all of Los Santos, controlled every heist in the city and had eyes everywhere. Lindsay Jones would know if you even looked at their property in the wrong way, talked about them in a full packed diner or even so much as took a wrong turn somewhere. Most parents used her as an excuse to get their children in line. “She’s watching you.” they would say to scare their children to behave even though you knew that the crew wouldn't hurt children, the same policy as your crew applied.

Your thoughts were cut short as the train stopped at Sandy Shores. You let out an aggravated sigh as people rushed past you to get to their seats bumping you with their bags. You cursed this need of stealth as your ill-fitting clothes stuck to your skin in the heat. You knew that the plan was good and that this was needed, as your car would probably be noticed and recognized in Los Santos although you didn't understand why you couldn't steal a car and drive to LS instead of taking this furnace. You knew that Elliot knew what she was doing but that didn't ease your discomfort at all. The plan relied on your average looks to blend you into the mass of people migrating to LS in hopes of a better life. Your brown hair stuck to your neck in the sunlight as the train started moving again. Only a few hours you thought and leaned back on the seat. A few hours and I can get these awful clothes of and change into something comfortable.

You picked on the bottom of your dress as you heard a few teen-aged girls whisper about you two rows behind you. You smiled as they criticized your clothing, hairstyle and color. The plan was working. In times like these you praised your genetics. Being average height, average weight with mousy brown hair and brown eyes had its perks. You had an ugly old gray dress on and flats. Nothing you would usually wear but something Elliot had insisted you would. You were just one of the thousands of hopefuls that had traveled this route, nothing unusual. Except for the duffle bag besides you filled to the brim with weapons and ammo.

You rested your hand on top of the bag as you watched the landscapes rush past you. You took this train almost 16 years ago, only you were going the opposite way. That train was filled with despair instead of hope. People who didn't make it in LS, people whose dreams were crushed and a family of four. Your parents were silent while you watched the landscape change from urban to suburban to wasteland. You could tell that they were sad, having lived their entire life in LS, before the gangs took over. Your brother was silently playing with his toys, still too young to understand what was going on. You were exited as your mother had promised you that there would be all sorts of animals out here to play with and that you would make new friends easily, friends who weren't “bad people” as she referred to kids from Los Santos who were destined for a life in a gang. And much to your mothers joy you did make friends with two girls almost immediately. Blue, whose name was foreign and hard to pronounce hence the nickname and Ella, who goes by Elliot nowadays. Little did your mother know that these three sweet girls were to form a crew rival only to the Fake AH crew. Little did your mother know that her baby would have the reputation you have.

You felt a bit guilty as you turned your gaze from the window to your phone. To protect your parents you had faked your own death. They didn't live in here anymore, having moved to Liberty City a year after your supposed death. You didn't regret your choice one bit but still felt guilty to have caused them that much pain. But pain was better than being dead, you reminded yourself.

Your phone vibrated as you got a text from Elliot.

_Hope you have a great vacation! I organized your accommodation for you and your transportation is where it usually is. All is well here .Our guest is impatiently waiting for your return. -E_

And by guest you knew she meant that one idiot who was stupid enough to try to steal from you and by waiting she meant cuffed to the holding cell underground.

You smiled at the vagueness of the text. You had insisted on vague texts and anything else that could be traced because if they could be traced they probably were. Even though you and your core crews phones had new technology that couldn't be traced or hacked didn't mean that they shouldn't be careful. Last time they weren't had led to you staring into Geoff Ramsay’s eyes.

* * *

 

 

A few years ago you had been in Paleto Bay trying to get inside scoop on a rival gang and their whereabouts when one of your employees had sent you a text that had been hacked and traced by Lindsay Jones. Unknown to you, you continued your act as a prostitute in a dark alley just across from Main Street. Just as you were getting ready to leave you felt a presence in the alley. Acting like a prostitute you turned around just to be a few feet from Ramsay. You could see Haywood and Jones on the street guarding the alleys entrance. Your attention focused on Ramsay as he was the immediate threat.

_He doesn't know who you are. You’re just another prostitute in this town, just act cool and everything will be fine. In fact, if I play my cards right I might just benefit from this._

“Looking for a good time big boy?” You asked coyly taking one step closer to Ramsay. You bit your lip as you looked up at the man. You had never been this close to the man before and adrenaline was pumping through you as you realized that if you blew this you would most definitely be dead in a few seconds.

Ramsay looked uninterested and just stared blankly at you.

“I’m up for all of you if that’s the problem. It’ll just cost more honey.” You purred and glanced at the men at the entrance to the alley. You could see Haywood smile and shake his head.

“We’re not here for you.” Ramsay said and gripped your wrist bringing you closer to him. “We’re here for the Desert Queen.”

You feigned fear as he studied you closely. You tried to pull away; acting like you shouldn't talk to these men.

“I—I should go… I- I can call someone else you need anything but I should go… She has ears everywhere” You whispered and continued your struggle. You could see that Haywood and Jones were visibly worried as they glanced the street and alley. Ramsay held your hand but you could see that he believed your little act.

They were in your hands and you could manipulate them to take out your rival gang.

“We can make her go away if you just tell us where we can find her.” Ramsay said and released your hand. You took a step back and rubbed your wrist with your other hand. You looked at him shyly and acted like you were considering their offer. Ramsay motioned for Haywood and Jones to join you in the alley.

“Are you sure? I will die if you don’t succeed. I have a family to feed, I can’t die they will be left all alone” You whispered with tear filled eyes.

Ramsay touched your upper arm and smiled at you.

“Don’t worry; it’ll be done if you only tell us what we need.” You looked around the alley, acting like you were trying to find anybody watching you.

“You’ll find the Desert Queen at an abandoned farm just south of Chilliad. A large chunk of her crew will be there but if you go around the back there’s a busted window to the basement. It’ll be easy to go through there. She’ll probably be somewhere on the third floor. “You whispered to them. Unknown to them you had just fed them the information you had gathered today on the rival gang.

Ramsay and Jones nodded at you, clearly believing your words but Haywood looked at you more closely.

“How do you know all this?” he asked with suspicion clear in his voice.

“I- _work_ with her right hand man. I've been there a few times and I've had to leave that way a couple times…” you say, acting embarrassed that you had to admit that.

They seem to buy it. Ramsay nods approvingly as they thank you for the information and leave with promises to kill them all to protect you and the rest of the county.

You decide that keeping up the act is necessary as you exit the alley a few minutes after them. You wait a few minutes until a car stops in front of you. You step inside and you speed away. The driver is one of your employees and you instruct him to act normal and by no means drive to your base just yet. You know someone is probably following you as you had seen only three of the Fake AH Crew.

After thirty minutes of evasive driving you were sure you had evaded them.

“Let’s go home Adam. I need to mail a thank you note to the Fake AH Crew as they oh so bravely will take out the Calaveras for us. Also I believe I need to speak with Thomas about texting safety.”

“Should I get someone to get ready to dispose a body?”

“Most certainly.”

* * *

 

 

You were awakened from your thoughts as the train came to a screeching halt at the Los Santos railway station. You smiled as you took your purse and the duffle bag and exited the train. The buildings around you were huge and they cast a shadow across the streets. The air was filled with excited voices, feet on pavement and pollution. You took a deep breath, smiled and blended into the mass leaving the station.

Los Santos, a city where dreams come true. You just hoped that it will for you as well.


	2. Settling in

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the kudos, it's nice to see that people like my ramblings :) Usual heads-up for possible typos :)

Even though you loved the desert and Sandy Shores, you had to admit that Los Santos was something special. The sandy winds, the dryness and the ever looming Mount Chilliad were replaced by the sounds of people talking and rushing past you, the sounds of traffic and the ever looming high-rises in downtown LS. This wasn't the first time you've been to LS since your move. Every now and then when all was well with the crew and you could spare some time you drove here. If only the Fake AH crew wasn't here, you wouldn't hesitate for a single second taking over this paradise on earth.

Ever since that one incident in Paleto Bay, you've been avoiding AH and vice versa. It was a shaky alliance, both parties agreeing on co-existing. They would have LS and you would have anything north of the Vinewood hills. You wouldn't harm their men if they didn't harm yours. Still every time you walked these streets you felt a strange homesickness, you wanted to roam these streets until you died. LS was in a weird way home, even though you've lived up north for twice the amount that you lived here. It was something about the way the sun hit the windows in the office buildings casting a beam of light down to the streets. Or maybe it was the hustling of the people.

After walking four blocks to the west, you took a turn left and headed south towards your LS apartment. It was located right beside the office section of downtown Los Santos in a high-rise. You bought the penthouse years ago, only intending to use it as a safe house but it had turned into some kind of home away from home. You've spent so many hours up there, sometimes just admiring the view of the Vinewood sign and the western coast.

You smiled at the guard outside the high-rise and stepped inside the lobby. With confidence in your step you headed for the elevators, nodding at a few people lingering in the lobby. Stepping inside the elevator, you pressed the button for the penthouse and begun your ascend. The duffle bag in your left hand was heavy and you couldn’t wait to get out of the dress that had started to itch your thighs. Not throwing caution to the wind, you pulled your pistol from your handbag as the elevator doors opened. You stepped out to the hall carefully placing the bag beside the doors to the penthouse. You strained your ears but you couldn't hear a thing. You pulled out your keys and opened the penthouse doors. Silently as a cat you took your bags inside the apartment and closed the doors behind you as you searched the apartment for any possible intruders or threats.

The penthouse filled almost the whole floor. Stepping inside there was a few steps down to the penthouse entryway with a chandelier and a table with fresh flowers in the middle of the hall. To the right there were two guest bedrooms, the one further away that was connected to the living area was used as an office. To the left of the hall was the master suite, with a walk-in closet and a master bath. When continuing straight from the hall you enter the large living area, with a large light kitchen with an island to the left, dining table in the middle and living room with two white couches to the left. All the outer walls were glass and the view from the couches was the Vinewood sign.

You tiptoed around the apartment, finding no sign of intruders or possible bombs. Relaxing slightly you retraced your steps and got your duffle bag. You headed to the office to store your sniper rifle, assault rifles and sticky bombs, then to the master suite to hide some guns in the bathroom and by the bed. You hid some in the kitchen as well as in the coffee table in the living room.

You kicked of those annoying flats and threw them in the walk-in closet in case you needed them again though you hoped to God that that wouldn't happen. With a tap on your phone the apartment was filled with music. You skipped a few songs until you found one of your liking. Dancing to the beat you stripped out of the dress and vowed to burn it the first chance you got. You walked into the light bathroom and took a shower you thoroughly needed. You scrubbed away the sweat of the train ride and the smell of the clothes while belting out the lyrics to the song you were listening to.

Once you were out of the shower and dressed in a pair of skinny black jeans and a white t-shirt you let your hair dry naturally while making your way to the kitchen. You couldn't find anything you wanted to eat in the fridge and with a sigh closed it. You leaned against the island and looked out. It must be getting late, the sun was setting already.

Pushing of the counter you found your sneakers and a grey hoodie and grabbed your bag. You made sure you had what you needed with you; keys, wallet, phone, two pistols and bubblegum. Satisfied, you turned the music off, took one of the pistols and placed it in the back of your jeans with the hoodie concealing it and exited the apartment.

* * *

 

You put up your hoodie to shield yourself from the gushing wind and to hide your face. Who knew who was watching the streets tonight, they might recognize you. You headed south, passing a few fast food restaurants of which none struck a liking with you. You had memorized the streets of LS with care. A few blocks south you finally found what you were looking for, Chip’s Pizza. They had arguably the best pizza in the whole county and you made sure you visited them at least once every time you were in town.

You pushed the door open and entered the warm pizzeria that was filled with people eating and laughing. Thankfully there wasn't a long line, you thought as you begun your waiting. Only two men in front of you, you could feel the delicious smell from the kitchen hitting you making you even hungrier.

You heard the door open and the hush of silence told you everything you needed to know as this was something you were usually on the other side of. Somebody from the AH crew was here. You took a step to the side to let them get through shielding your face with your phone, pretending to make a call. Two persons walked by you, heading straight for the counter. The woman with firey red hair couldn't be mistaken for, Lindsay Jones. She was accompanied by a shorter chubbier man with light blond hair. You tried to recall who he was but couldn't.

“We’re here for the order.” Lindsay chirped to the cashier who was paler than snow. He apologized for their wait and excused himself to go get their pizzas. The restaurant was silent, the music playing from the radio the only thing breaking the silence.

Lindsay leaned against the counter and yawned. The man shifted his weight and hummed along to the song playing. Lindsay glanced at the kitchen then at the man.

“Kerry please you know how annoying we find your humming.” she said with a smile. The man grinned but stopped as the cashier came back with a stack of boxes. You could count 10 and heard Lindsay’s sigh.

“Goddamit, who the fuck ordered two pizzas again? They could get their own fucking pizzas for once.” She cursed as she took half of the boxes.

“You know who it is” Kerry snickered as they walked past you without giving you a second look. “For a small man Gav’s got a hell of an appetite.”

As the doors closed behind them it was like the whole restaurant breathed for the first time in five minutes. Chatter broke out at the tables, people calling their loved ones and the cashier resumed his work. As the line shortened you remembered the man’s name. Kerry. You hadn't heard of him before and made a mental note to do some research on this man.

Your turn came and you placed your order. You leaned back against the wall as you waited for your pizza. This place felt unsecure after them and you couldn't wait to get back again. You glanced over the restaurant trying to see if anybody was eyeing you or acting weirdly. Thankfully they all seemed shaken over by the visitors that they didn't care about anything else. Still, as soon as you got your pizza you rushed to get back. The streets weren't safe, even though Lindsay had given you the impression that the crew were meeting up somewhere and wouldn't be roaming the streets.

* * *

 

Keeping an eye out for threats you quickly found yourself back in the elevator with your pizza warming your hand. With the other hand you reached back and grabbed the pistol as you prepared for a possible ambush. Thankfully there was none and you could lean back on the couch eating the pizza while watching the news in peace.

_“Celebrity diva Theresa Hale has been admitted to rehab this morning. Manager Brad Felling tells media…”_

You zone out as the celebrity news section airs as none of it matters. Los Santos was filled with more than enough of “stars” and it was hard to keep up with all of them even if you would care enough. None of them mattered in anyway; all of them desperately trying to keep up their lifestyle as more and more of the viewer’s lost interest in them. Hardly anyone of them had the money to live like you did; you thought and smiled while picking up the last slice of pizza.

The news anchor was back on the screen. His face was permanently etched in a polite smile do to all the cosmetic surgery he had gotten. You shook your head at the vanity of these people.

_“Thank you Candice for the celebrity news. Now let’s head back to our main stories this evening. Business man Bruce Loundry has been missing for several weeks now. Reports say that he was last seen heading to Paleto Bay to buy a local business. Last seen Wednesday night on Route 1 nothing is known about his current whereabouts…”_

Loundry was on the bottom of the ocean about 10 miles north of Paleto Bay, you thought and shook your head. That dumb fuck wasn't heading for Paleto Bay to buy a business but to try to extort some information from you. Needless to say he hadn't succeeded.

_“Reporter Janice Canon is dead. Her body washed up on Vespucci Beach this afternoon much to the shock of sunbathers. Canon was reporting on last week’s bank robbery on San Andreas Boulevard. The Fake AH Crew is accused for this crime even though police are having a hard time finding supporting evidence against the crew. Foul play is suspected in the death of Canon.”_

This news didn't surprise you as you had been hearing rumors of Canon getting in too deep while investigating the AH crew. The only thing surprising you was that it had taken this long for her to get killed. Everybody knew how dangerous it was to get to close to the crews running this county. She wasn't the first one to get got, nor would she be the last. Every year newbie reporters poked their noses into stuff they shouldn't, just trying to get famous and ending up at the morgue.

You put the empty pizza box on the coffee table and leaned back with your glass of wine. You checked your email for updates from north as the news anchor continued to ramble on about some uninteresting story about gang violence in the eastern parts of LS. You sent a few orders back to them just as the anchor finally got to the news you had waited for.

_“The Bank Of Los Santos is heightening their security as the wildly reported shipment of newly printed currency is scheduled to arrive on Friday. With three of their last shipments gone missing and the Fake AH crew thought behind these incidents the president of the bank has released a statement stating that this time nothing of such caliber will happen. It is rumored that private security company Merryweather have been hired to provide the Los Santos police force back up if needed. The police chief recommends staying out of the downtown area this Friday midday in case of violent intervention is needed to secure the shipment. And now for the weather…”_

This was why you were here. You predict that the AH crew will hit the shipment and you were here to study their methods trying to see if they had any weaknesses. Know your enemies well; know your allies even better. You stood up, turned the TV off and threw the box in the trash before making your way to the bedroom to get ready for bed. It was going to be a hell of a few days with the shipment scheduled the day after tomorrow. After washing your face and brushing your teeth you changed into a pair of boxers and a tank top and slid between the sheets. You ran your hand against the headboard making sure that the pistol was still there before closing your eyes and letting your body recharge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gonna try to get the next chapter up during the week-end but it might have to wait until Monday. As always comments and kudos are more than welcome! :)


	3. The Heist

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time for the heist, what could possibly go wrong?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the support guys! I'm so sorry that it took this long for me to post this but I was out of town without my computer. As usual a heads up for potential typos :)

You were right about the following days being absolutely insane. Between managing your crew and shadowing the AH crew without them noticing was proving harder than you thought initially. Not impossible though, you mused as you took a sip of the coffee you had in a thermos as you walked across the hangar at Los Santos airport. Dressed in complete ground worker attire you blended in as anybody who dons on a workers clothes does. Your hair whipped around your face viciously as the wind tugged at your ponytail. You stopped and talked to a few workers when you passed them, trying to seem like you belonged there. After about twenty minutes of wandering you finally heard the commotion you had predicted.

There was a loud bang from the front gates as two SUVs rolled through. You could hear tires screeching as they came to a full stop by the hangar. Hanging back with your hands up you watched the men pile out of the cars and jog over to the jet in the hangar. Right on time you thought as you watched them enter the plane one by one with Jack leading the way. You took notice on how they moved, checking if they favored one side over the other or if your intel on their dominate hands were correct.

You noticed how Free favored his left side, probably due to his recent injury during a small scale robbery. He had jumped off a roof and messed up the landing. You also noticed how aware of his surroundings Haywood was, always keeping an eye out for anything unusual. Right on time another worker dropped his coffee on the ground making a small thunk noise. You had paid him twenty bucks to do that, trying to scope out their hearing. Haywood’s head turned immediately despite the fact that the jet was roaring. He would be hard to get past without him noticing you noted as the men entered the jet and roared out from the hangar.

You excused yourself from your “co-workers” who just shook their heads and muttered something about this being the third time this week whilst getting back to work and headed for the parking lot. You threw yourself in the driver’s seat and shrugged of the reflective vest. The smell of kerosene lingered in the car as you sped away from the airport. You leaned forward to try to see if you could see the jet anywhere but couldn’t.

You cranked up the volume and floored it. You weaved through the midday traffic heading towards the hills. Even though it looked like you were crazy by the way you drive, you smiled and relaxed. It was behind the wheel that you felt the most alive. Taking a sharp left you cut the corner and heard a string of beeping and curses but those were behind you within seconds. Giggling slightly you hit the hills and started weaving through the small streets. You were heading towards a nearby park where you knew you could get a great view, a view directly into Ramsay’s living room.

You parked in parking lot by the entrance and thanked God for the tinted windows as you changed into yoga clothes. You hated exercising more than you hated idiots behind the wheel but this was the best way of not sticking out. You exited the car when you finally had gotten yourself into black yoga pants and a loose fitting grey t-shirt. You stretched a few times leaning against the car until releasing your leg and grabbing your gym bag. This bag wasn’t filled with dirty clothes or shoes but with a sniper rifle, more close range weapons in case of trouble, binoculars and a jumper in case you needed to stay here until dawn.

You smiled at passing joggers as you followed the path. Soon you came to a crossroads and went left, down a path that was unused and heavily shaded by the large trees. You had had Adam scope the place out last week and he had reported that a few hundred yards down this path there was a cluster of trees overlooking the cliff opposite the Ramsay household. The space between the trees that shaded you from the road below and the path behind you was small. You squeezed yourself in and realized that if you needed to run you probably couldn’t because you could feel the blood flow to your legs stop almost immediately. This was going to be a painful wait.

You settled for a long wait, casually leaning against one of the trees listening to the birds chirping in the midday sun. You checked the road occasionally and always when you heard a car. Grabbing the opportunity you sent a few emails up north, checking in on some of the business you had your claws in. Blue checked in with the most recent news about the crew. She managed the day-to-day of the crew members and reported a few minor issues with crew members that needed housing. You rested easily knowing that it took a lot more to shake Blue.

Elliot reported that your “guest” was still alive and reasonably spooked. She also reported on the money flow and you were satisfied with the numbers. The new members you added a few months ago were starting to pull their weight on robberies and had earned the right to stay. Stay alive one might say as death was the only way out of your crew. You replied to her, ordering her to turn off the lights in the holding cell. You were just toying with the prisoner, getting him ready for you when you returned. You handled the “information gathering” and punishment on the side while leading the whole crew. Some of your methods gave you a rather twisted reputation within your crew and acts that needed punishment had went down quickly. Nowadays it was only these kinds of idiots who needed your attention, rarely anybody from your crew.

* * *

 

It was close to eight PM when you heard the cars speed up the road below you. You tensed up as this was probably the riskiest part; when they were exiting the cars and getting inside the house. As you had thought all of them seemed on edge, every one of them looking around the neighborhood and cliff before they entered the house. Free was laughing uncontrollably while Jones shook his head at the man. Ramsay spoke softly with Patillo while Narvaez and Haywood took the rear walking silently behind the rest of them.

You breathed softly as you pulled the binoculars out from the bush besides you up to your eyes and focused on the living room window. Jones had proceeded to having Free in a headlock while Narvaez sat on the couch with his feet on the table. Ramsay emerged from the right, kicking Free and Jones apart and gave everybody beers. Patillo came into view with a large pile of papers, saying something to the crew. He then rolled out them on the coffee table while everybody but Haywood took a seat. He leaned against the opposite wall from the window and seemed to say something that made the crew laugh and Ramsay shake his head.

The papers seemed to be maps over the downtown area you realized as you focused on them. You were too far away to distinguish details much to your dislike. Patillo proceeded to point at the map and then talk to every one of them individually with Ramsay nodding beside him. It seemed like he was going over the plan and their individual tasks. He then switched maps to a map of the underground railway system. He looked at Ramsay and pointed at the Pillbox South station, talking with the leader. You got what you needed you thought as you put the binoculars down slowly trying to avoid the lens flare that might alert them of you.

The railway map was so simple that you knew the station where Ramsay would be. You decided that it was the best place to situate yourself to get a better glimpse at the leader in action. You extracted yourself from the bushes, brushing of the leaves and dirt as you started heading towards the car. You were right about your legs being completely without blood and you shook them slightly every once in awhile to get the flow back. You looked like you had been exercising. Pleased with the intel you gathered today you headed home, blasting through all the red lights on the way.

* * *

 

The next morning you woke up early to get to the station in time. Rolling out of bed and landing softly on the balls of your feet you tiptoed to the bathroom whilst stretching out your arms above your head. You stepped into the shower and let the water wash over you for a few minutes without moving.

You loved the shower in your LS apartment. It was tiled with beautiful Italian marble, white on the wall and dark gray on the floor. The huge rainwater showerhead was something you had always dreamed of but because your parents weren’t very wealthy this was the first one you had afforded. You turned the heat on as you started to slowly wake up.

You thought over your plan. As you promised your friends, you wouldn’t get too close to the crew or danger. You had promised that you were here only to observe not to interfere if and when something went wrong. You pondered over that while you washed your hair. You assured yourself that you were capable of doing that over and over again until you convinced yourself. You knew that leaving one or more of them to die would be hard, although you didn’t quite understand why you felt this way. It must be the fact that they were so similar to your crew, you muttered as you exited the shower and wrapped yourself in a soft, large white towel.

Leaving wet footprints on the hardwood you made your way to the walk-in closet and changed into what you considered the “boring woman”-attire; a grey pencil skirt, a white blouse and a blazer. You dried your hair, did your make-up to match your cover and quickly ate the leftovers from yesterday’s Chinese food as breakfast before throwing on your heels and rushing out of the apartment. In the elevator you moved your pistol from the handbag to the back of your skirt. You could never be too careful you thought as you counted the extra ammo in your bag. Two clips in the bag, one on you; thirty shots you could take. This made you nervous, you preferred to have more. But you aren’t supposed to get in a fight; you scolded yourself as you exited the building, quickly heading north towards the Pillbox South station.

You texted Elliot while you stood in line at the nearby coffee shop instructing her which station’s security cameras she needed to hack into. You knew that if Ramsay was supposed to be there, Jones would have her eyes on the place. You also knew that she would notice if something was out of place, you just needed Elliot to tell you were you could find a place to sit at without being visible in the cameras.

As you thanked the barista you heard back from her. She located a blind spot in the cameras you could use. Thanking her for the information you exited the coffee shop and blended into the mass of office workers heading for the subway. Briefcases bumped into people as some ran by in an obvious hurry while the sound of people babbling on their phones escalated as you neared the station.

You bought the newspapers at the station before taking the stairs down to the platform. As a train whooshed by you took your seat near the entrance to the tunnel. Opening the newspaper you wondered why Ramsay would be here. Was this their getaway or something else? Or had you assumed his position wrong?

You glanced at your phone. It was already 12.01, exactly three minutes after social media informed you that the crew had hit the convoy. Tapping your hand against your leg you felt anxious. People around you seemed oblivious to the commotion happening just a block west of here. You bit your lip, keeping an eye out for the tunnel entrance as well as the stairs to your right. 12.02. If he wasn’t here soon he would miss the opportunity to head into the tunnels before the 12.05 arrival of the train from Little Soul. At least that’s what you would do given the situation. A person on the rails stops the train automatically; if perfectly timed the train would block the entrance to the tunnel, giving you about six minutes to either run for the next station or head through the service tunnels.

Just as you thought that you heard someone run through the level above you. You stopped the tapping and leaned back towards the wall getting a glimpse of a running man on the stairs from behind the other passenger’s heads. Everything seemed utterly in order; he had ample time to perfect the timing of the jump.

That was of course until he was just passing a pillar on the platform. You heard a gunshot from the stairs and watched Ramsay’s eyes widen as he fell forward grabbing his left shoulder, dropping the duffle bag. He dove for cover behind the pillar as chaos erupted on the platform. People dove down on the ground, children screamed as the cops yelled orders from the stairs.

12.03.

Fuck.

This was exactly a situation you shouldn’t be in. This is exactly something you shouldn’t be facing. Yet somehow you knew that this was more than likely to happen. You looked at Ramsay. He was hiding behind the pillar, holding his left shoulder. He was paler than he should be you thought before realizing that the shoulder wasn’t the only place he was bleeding from. It seemed like the police tagged him as he was falling down; his left thigh was covered in blood. He grimaced as he propped himself against the pillar, colorful curse words echoing against the tiled walls. Fuck.

Taking a deep breath you felt yourself move in slo-mo as you drew your weapon, pushed down the head of the woman sitting next you as you fired your gun taking down the police officers who were coming down the stairs. Six shots, only one of them missing. The officers on the platform turned to you but you took them out before they hit you. 12.04.

Fuck.

Releasing the woman’s head, you sprinted towards Ramsay grabbing the bag with you. Sliding over to the pillar you emptied your clip into the officers descending onto the platform. Cursing you grabbed the confused man and helped him stand.

“Gun! Give me your gun!” you yelled at him as you saw more officers at the top of the stairs realizing you hadn’t the time to reload your pistol. Dazed he complied giving you his SMG and you took the men down. You could hear the train speeding towards the station, blissfully unaware of the commotion happening on the platform.

12.05.

You half carried, half dragged the man towards the mouth of the tunnel while tossing the duffle bag on your right shoulder, kicking off your heels. Barefoot you rushed forward, as you heard the train screech coming into the station. Looking backwards you saw the train coming; you counted to five before jumping down on the tracks dragging the almost limp body of Ramsay with you.

Cursing out loud at the weight of the man and the bag you pointed your gun at the platform as you stumbled backwards into the tunnel. You strained at the weight piled on top of you praying the train would block the tunnel. You shot two cops running towards the closing gap between train and tunnel before the train screeched to a halt.

You could feel your blazer tear as you pulled the man with you away from the platform. The gravel on the ground cut into your feet but you still had it easier than Ramsay. He seemed confused, barely conscious and pissed off as fuck. You ignored his persistent flow of questions as you huffed away. Deciding there was no way in hell you would get to any of the three connected stations before you were either shot down or run over, you stumbled towards the door so forgotten and neglected you were sure nobody knew about it. Even Ramsay seemed to be confused as you patted the wall on the right side of the tunnel. He mumbled something about a service door on the left side of the tunnel a few hundred yards away but you ignored him knowing that would be the first place the cops would look.

Finally finding what you were looking for, you opened the door and pulled you both in. The entrance to the sewers you had found when you were eight playing with your friends in the tunnels. That was one of the core reasons your parents moved you up north, as it wasn’t safe to play in the subway or sewer according to your mother. Today you thanked heavens that you had been here before.

“What is this?” you heard Ramsay cough as you dragged him with you down a flight of stairs towards the sound of water.

“A path towards safer grounds” you answered out of breath, not giving you the opportunity to slow down. This probably gave you a ten minute window before the cops followed the never ending trail of blood Ramsay was leaving and you needed every single of them to get Ramsay up on ground level again. You hoisted the bag up after it slid and did the same with Ramsay.

“I don’t know. She saved me at the station” you heard Ramsay say and realized he must be talking to his crew. Fuck. You had forgotten about that. Cursing out loud you yanked the microphone from Ramsay.

“Listen to me.” you raised your voice to counter the massive chaos coming from the crew. “I’m getting Ramsay out of this goddamn mess and I would appreciate if you would shut the fuck up. Do you know that one warehouse by the beach that used to manufacture hairspray? Meet you assholes there.” you huffed as you threw the earpiece and microphone in the murky waters flowing beside you.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to comment and give kudos, as that always warms my heart. The next chapter should be up on either Wednesday or Thursday :)


	4. The Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Getting Ramsay out of the subway wasn't the end of trouble.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the kudos and views :)

Fuck I really need to start exercising properly you huffed as you finally managed to drag the man you were carrying onto the pavement in an alley. Ramsay was weak but still conscious and tried to help you as much as possible. Both of you were sweating and cursing as you let go of the man for a few seconds to catch your breath as he rolled over to his back, laying on the floor beside the hole leading down into darkness. You could hear distant sirens and the hustle of people on the street that this alley connected to over the sound of both of your strained breathing.

You thanked yourself for predicting that shit would hit the fan as you jogged over to the car that you had stashed here. You pulled of the tarp covering the black car and hopped in. You carefully maneuvered yourself so that you didn’t dent the car on the dumpsters in the alley and didn’t run Ramsay over. That would have sucked, getting him here and then just running him over. You stopped a few feet from him and jogged over to him.

“Thought you left me here to die.” He coughed as you pulled him onto his feet and started helping him towards the car. You opened the passenger side door and helped him in. He leaned back on the seat as you closed the door and carefully sidestepped the puddle of blood by the hole. You must look like shit you thought as you took a look at your pencil skirt that was stained with bright red blood and black and grey stains from the underground tunnels. Your blazer was gone, discarded earlier for being in the way. The white button-up shirt was beyond any care, torn and red. You brushed loose hair from you bun out of your face as you jogged over to the driver’s side.

“Not yet old man” you answered the tired crew leader as you started the car and exited the alley. You looked around you, placing yourself on the map. You were close to the Little Seoul subway entrance you figured out, and turned right into Vespucci Boulevard and towards the beach.

“So later then?” Ramsay said to you with a smile as he adjusted himself on the seat with a groan. “Sorry about the blood.”

“On me or the car?” you joked as you swerved around a slow moving car. Ramsay chuckled and then groaned when you hit a hole in the street.

“Car. I know you don’t care about the clothes Desert Queen.”

You weren't surprised that he had figured it out. Who else was foolish enough to save him, the man most of the county wanted dead. Ramsay shrugged of his jacket and pushed aside the t-shirt to reveal his wound. The bullet had passed too high to do any major damage, it had gone through muscle and thus leading to major blood loss and pain but not death. He poked the hole in his shoulder slightly only to move the t-shirt back to cover it.

“There’s a first-aid kit in the glove box” you said, ignoring the statement he had made. “I’m gonna bandage you when we stop, okay?” you added in a softer voice, countered by the rash turn you had made into another street to avoid cops.

“Fine.” he huffed and shifted, clearly irritated by your lack of response. Your backup phone vibrated beside you, caller-ID telling you it was Elliot. Of course she would have been watching the cameras you huffed internally as you cut another corner. You were a block away from the warehouse.

“Should I expect an ambush?” You asked, driving past an elderly lady in a blue Civic. “I’d rather go home after this and take a long shower and not take a fucking bullet to the head, you know?”

“They’re worried” Ramsay said and laughed. “They’re always worried as dicks when it comes to strange ladies of rival crews kidnapping their leader.”

“Saving their leader” you countered as you slowed down, driving through the gates into the warehouse lot.

You pulled over in the loading docks, turning the car off. You leaned over and took the first-aid kit from the glove box and turned to face the man. He looked you straight in the eyes, his blues pierced you brown ones as neither of you backed down. You opened the kit and rifled through it finding the bandages.

Ramsay took off his t-shirt and you started to wrap the compression bandage around his shoulder and arm. As you did this you glanced over his tattoos, but decided not to bring them up. The silence in the car was comfortable.

“So… How’s things up north?” Ramsay asked as you tied the end of the bandage releasing his arm. He tried the range of motion before nodding his head and pulling the shirt back on.

“Things are great.” you answered pulling out another roll. Ramsay unbuckled his pants and rolled them down to reveal the huge hole in his thigh, surrounded by clotted blood.

“Seems like the bullet went straight through” you muttered to yourself and started to wrap the bandage around his leg.

“Seen any wandering business men there?” he asked with a smile. You laughed slightly as you reached over to get another bandage as the first was too short to do anything good.

“Can’t say I have seen any of them wandering around.”

“Guessed as much.”

You fell into a comfortable silence as you continued to wrap his leg and he studied your movements. His breath was slow and steady and you were confident that it wouldn't take long before he was up and running again. Tying the bandage, satisfied with your work you wondered how long would it take for the rest of the crew to get here.

Before you even got through that thought the driver’s side door was yanked open and a pair of hands grabbed your neck, throwing you onto the pavement. You were moving before your mind was caught up with the motions, years of training and real life experience moved your muscles. You kicked out and hit the person’s knee; the sharp kick brought them down on the ground. You rotated your torso, bringing your legs around to deliver another kick this time connecting with the man’s stomach aimed for the spleen paired with a sharp punch in the face. You heard a satisfying crunch as the man screeched. You jumped up on your feet, running your fingers across your thigh pulling out a combat knife from a thigh-holster.

You heard Ramsay barking out orders not to kill you. After a moment of silence the warehouse was filled with laughter as the rest of the crew emerged from the shadows laughing at the man rolling on the floor. You identified the man as Free, as the rest of the crew headed over towards Ramsay. You leaned over and offered your hand to the man on the ground but still held on to the knife. The man took your hand and with a sharp yank, he was on his feet again. He held his face, and you turned and pulled out a towel from the car.

“Thank you” he said sheepishly as he wiped his face.

“Don’t worry.” you answered and turned around to find the crew leading Ramsay over to a car in the shadows of the warehouse. You saw them look at you but resume their attention to the leader as Ramsay said something to them. Haywood continued to look at you even when the rest of them turned away. You looked at the man, straight into his eyes that were the only part of his face not covered by the mask. A tense few seconds passed until he turned away from you. You could feel your curiousness of the man grow. You turned around to face Free.

“They left you in charge of watching me?” you asked him with a slight laugh. The man looked confident even with the towel covering the bottom of his face as he pulled a pistol from behind him pointing it at you. You smiled.

“Tell Ramsay that I expect a new car for all my services here and for the fact that he totally ruined the upholstery in this one. I’m confident that you’ll find me when you’re willing to talk.” Before he even knew it he was knocked unconscious and cuffed to a pipe on the wall.

You tiptoed out of the warehouse before bursting into a sprint. You hit the streets, found a car of your liking and stole it. You were cruising down Del Perro Freeway in mere minutes missing the commotion at the warehouse with frustrated yells and curses.

* * *

 

You found a large baseball jacket in the back of the car and pulled it on as you exited the car by your apartment. No need of hiding the car anywhere, the crew would find you either way. The jacket covered the bloodstains from curious looks as you stepped into the lobby and elevator. You held onto the knife in your pocket as you exited the elevator onto the little lobby by your doors.

A tall man was leaning against your doors. He had tussled dark brown hair, emerald green eyes and was tanned from spending hours each day in the scorching heat of Sandy Shores, dressed in a pair of fitted jeans and a shirt with the sleeves rolled up revealing the full tattoo sleeve he had on his right arm. The man smelled of gasoline and disinfectant and when he saw you step out of the elevator he smiled widely. You lowered your knife as the man stepped off the wall and with a huge step he came close and engulfed you into a warm hug. You stood on your tiptoes hugging him back. You breathed in the familiar smell.

“Adam what the fuck are you doing here?” You asked as the man let you go. You stepped around him and opened the doors to let you both into the apartment. You led the way to the kitchen, opened the fridge and took out drinks for you. Adam strolled in after you, took his beer and sat down by the island.

“We were worried about you” he answered and took a sip. “I was in the neighborhood.”

“Bullshit you were” you answered him as you sat down your drink and shrugged of the baseball jacket to reveal the blood soaked shirt. “I know for a fact that you are supposed to be at Chumash.”

“True, but I count that as being in the neighborhood. “

“That’s 20 miles north of here!”

“A larger neighborhood? We’re all neighbors in a way?” he countered and winked.

You shook you head and bagged the jacket before stripping out of the shirt and skirt. You bagged them as well and tied the knot. You needed to burn these ASAP.

“You’re hurt” Adam stated and put his drink down. He moved around the island and lifted your right arm to reveal a wound left by a bullet that must have grazed you at the platform. He pulled you to the office and sat you down on the desk.

You knew that there was no way you could talk him out of bandaging you, as you had tried it for so many years. Adam moved around the desk, opened a drawer and pulled out the large box containing almost everything you would find in a hospital. Adam was your crews main medic, having spent years as a medic in the war. After he was discharged he ran into you in Paleto Bay. Five years later, he was the main medic, caring for anything ranging from gunshot wounds to burns to dog bites. You and Adam were close, almost like a brother and a sister. He was one of your closest members of the crew besides Elliot and Blue.

You lifted your arm slightly and hissed when he cleaned the wound. You insist that things as minor as a grazed wound wouldn’t require any local anesthetics and Adam agreed with you. The pain is all in your head you told yourself as he started to stitch the wound together again. You tapped your iPad and music started playing from the hidden speakers around the house. You knew that Adam enjoyed listening to music while he worked.

“So, how was it?” he asked as he pulled the string through. You took a sip of your drink you had with you and told the story. About how shit hit the fan and about the crew.

“So I assume they’re coming here?” he asked as he tied the last stitch and bandaged the wound. You hopped down and watched him clean up.

“Yeah” you answered as you walked back towards the kitchen. “I’m expecting them later tonight. “

“Great! I love a good party!” Adam joked and laughed when you elbowed him straight into his ribs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and thoughts are welcome below :) I'm aiming for releasing the next chapter this week-end.


	5. Burning evidence and pizzatime

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You get some much needed downtime while you wait for the inevitable storm that's coming.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for the love and comments. They always make me feel so much better :) Usual warnings of possible typos :)

After a quick shower to get all the grime and blood off of your body you entered the living area dressed in jeans, a grey hoodie and a black t-shirt. You had decided to let your hair dry naturally, as it would probably be a few hours before the AH crew showed up as you thought they would like to avoid the daylight.

Adam was stretched out on the couch, resting his head on a pile of pillows he had gathered from the whole room. You ran your hands through your hair as you walked to the kitchen and got the bag of bloody clothes.

“What’s up my queen?” he asked with a wink as you strolled past him heading towards the doors. He loved to tease you about your nickname, always bringing it up when possible. Adam always found it amusing how terrified people were of you, as he himself was never on the receiving end of your wrath. You could never be mad at him, but those feelings were mutual.

“Not much asshole. Gonna go burn the evidence.” You answered as you slipped on a pair of worn ballerinas and grabbed your keys.

“I’ll be here waiting your highness!” he proclaimed from the couch with a laugh. You shook your head with a smile, the man was completely crazy.

“Wouldn’t want it any other way!” you countered as you shut the door behind you.

Instead of heading towards the elevator that was directly in front of you, you turned right and walked across the marble floor only to stop by a small door with a normal keyhole but also a keypad by the handle. The sign on the door stated “Only for personnel of the complex” but you entered the correct key in the keyhole and turned it. You then entered the code for the keypad and the door unlocked with a silent click. You entered the room and pulled the door behind you, hearing the soft thunk of the locks.The room was pitch black but with an ease you moved left from the door and flipped on the lights.

This part of the floor was originally a part of the penthouse but you had converted it so that it showed as a service space for the elevator and other miscellaneous mechanics on all the blueprints of the complex. It also had no connecting doors to the penthouse for safety reasons. The room was L shaped, but you had walled of the extruding part of the room behind the elevator, hiding the elevator mechanics and at the same time eliminated some of the noise.

The rest of the room was bare. It was illuminated by a few hanging lights, one in the middle of the room above a conference table surrounded by office chairs. The outer wall had a few windows but they were covered with thick black curtains that didn’t let any light out from the room. On your right, on the wall connected to your master bedroom was a large fireplace.

You walked towards the fireplace and threw the clothes on it, sprayed gasoline on them and lit it up. You took a step back when the heat of the fire hit you but stood close to the fire anyway to monitor the clothes to make sure that they were actually burning.After a few minutes you relaxed and decided that the fire was good enough. You started to wander around the room to combat boredom.

On the opposite side of the fireplace on the other short wall was a huge board that took up the wall. You hugged your chest as you walked around the large wooden table and by the worn old couch situated between the two curtain-covered windows. As you neared the board you started to distinguish the details.

The board was covered with information on the Fake AH Crew and its members. On the top of the board there were all of the crew member’s bios; in the middle was a large map of the city with their safe house locations your crew had found out about. The rest of the board was covered in newspaper clippings of their shenanigans, police reports and other miscellaneous information you had gathered along the years.

There were clips of the heist where Patillo landed the plane in the middle of traffic. You never understood how in the living hell that was accomplished or whose idea it was. You were never great at flying, preferring to be on the ground in a car. It was never an issue of you not being good at flying, you were adequate in most aircrafts but you hated the feeling of being so vulnerable in a metal box miles above the ground. You didn’t like being in charge of the other passengers lives in that way, physically holding their lives in your hands because it was your hands on the controls. Managing the crew on the ground was fine; you’d take a firefight any day over controlling a plane of any kind.

There were yellowed clippings from years ago, from heists long forgotten and buried. There were long articles talking about the Fake AH crew’s early days that predicted that they would fall within a year. Newer articles with more realistic views were littered on top of the older ones. One paper stood out from the newspaper clippings; the statement the mayor had made a few years ago stating a state of emergency after the crew wiped out over half of the police force, forcing the city of Los Santos to employ the mercenary group formerly called West Santos Security. This firm later became Merryweather and their contract with the city was prolonged from the original year to the following 3 years. Recently the city renewed the contract, stating that the state of emergency wasn’t over until both the Fake AH crew and your crew were eliminated.

You smiled slightly as your eyes glanced over the mayor’s statement. Nothing changed after that statement, and you were confident that both the city and Merryweather are powerless against the crews. The light from the fire behind you flickered and made you miss your family as it reminded you of camping trips you had taken as a family in the Mount Chilliad wilderness. You hugged your chest tighter as you turned around and walked back towards the fire.

Sometimes you just missed your family but you never in a million years thought about telling them about yourself. Part of the reason was the danger that came with knowing you but part of the reason was also selfish. You couldn’t imagine the anger and disappointment your parents would have, not only for lying for all these years but also with the carrier path you had chosen. Your mother was so proper, even moved you across county to keep you away from the crowds you led these days.

You poked the fire with an iron poker, satisfied with the lack of clothes. The fire was dying, but it had served it’s purpose turning the clothes into ashes. You waited a few minutes to make sure the fire died before resting the poker against the tiles and turning the lights of and leaving the room. You reminded yourself that you need to bag the ashes and throw them in the sea ASAP.

You crossed the lobby and entered the penthouse. You heard loud noises from the living room and headed towards them. You found Adam sitting on the edge of the sofa, playing a FPS on the flat screen. He turned around quickly to greet you before resuming his game. You hopped on the couch, sitting on the backrest leaning your elbows on your thighs observing his gaming. You were quiet, only chipping in when you had tips for him.

After a while you got up and patted his shoulder to inform him of this change. He nodded but squinted at the screen. You patted around the dining room table into the kitchen to get another drink. You stretched your right side and hissed quietly when the stiches stretched the skin. Grabbing your drink you made your way to the office.

You sat down in the black office chair and leaned back taking in your surroundings. The noise from the TV could be heard from here, the white French doors letting most of the noise in. The walls were wallpapered with off-white wallpaper except for the wall behind the desk that had a forest motif on it. You loved the wilderness on the northern side of Mount Chilliad and had wanted to bring some of it into your LS apartment. The dark hardwood was covered with a forest green round rug. The desk was in the middle of the room, on your left there was a row of cabinets and to your right was the huge safe holding your explosives and extra weapons. You opened your laptop that was on top of the desk. There was a mild smell of disinfectants in the air.

You logged in to your bank account and filled in the all too familiar information you filled in every month. Ever since your supposed death you had been sending money to your family to make sure they were comfortable. You disguised yourself as the airplane company whose plane had crashed all those years ago leading to your “death” and claimed that your company pays for all the families involved in the crash. Those families were Blue’s and Elliot’s. You typed in the bank accounts and the information necessary then typed in 5 000$ in the amount. It was nothing to pay this sum to all of the three families with your income but you knew that the money made a huge difference in the lives of the families. Your brother’s school was paid with this money.

You approved the transfer and logged off. You leaned back on the chair and rested your hands behind your neck now used to the stretching of the stiches. Every month you sent the money and every month you felt homesick. You took a sip of your drink as you looked at the clock hanging above the safe. It was only nearing four o’clock; it had been a long day today.

“Pizza for dinner?” You hollered at Adam through the door and you heard him pause the game and put down the controller on the coffee table. He peeked through the doors and looked at you, his eyes seeing straight through you.

“Did you pay them, is it already that time of the month? Wanna talk?” he said with concern written across his face. You shook your head and stood up, stretching your neck from side to side.

“Just miss them a bit” you answered him as you walked side by side to the kitchen to look at the take-away menus. He threw his arm around your shoulders as you walked and pulled you close to him. You rested your head on his shoulder.

“I know you do honey.”

“It just gets hard sometimes. But I know it’s better this way.” you sighed and climbed on the bar chairs beside the island. You leaned your head on your hands as you watched Adam take out the menus.

“That doesn’t mean that you can’t miss them. It’s your parents, you’re gonna miss them all your life.” He said with a smile as he leaned over the island. “It’s okay to feel sad once in a while. You can’t be the crazy torturer lady from the wild desert all the time.”

You stuck out your tongue at him and he laughed. His laugh was very infectious and soon you were laughing with him, choosing your pizzas. Adam ordered them to the ground floor lobby and offered to get them himself when they arrived. You laid out the drinks as you waited on him and more so the pizzas. It got dark outside as you ate your pizzas, chatting and laughing at old stories. Adam always knew how to make you feel better.

After you were full Adam excused himself to go use to the toilet. You instructed him to use the one in your master suite, thus giving him a chance to flank the AH crew if they decide to burst in when he was there. He cracked a stupid joke on his way to the toilet that made you laugh as you stood up and started to clean the table. It was after you had put the boxes in the trash and the empty bottles in their appropriate place that you heard them.

“It’s rude to point weapons at a friend” you said with clear annoyance in your voice as you turned around to face Jones, Haywood and a new guy you didn’t recognize, all of them pointing guns at your head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading this far. As always comments and kudos are much appreciated! If you got any ideas, feel free to pop them in the comments, and I shall see if I can squeeze them in somewhere :)


	6. Unexpected company

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are never what they seem to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the lack of chapter earlier this week but my university studies just kicked in, so I might not update twice a week every week. I still aim for the date I say at the end of the chapter but I'm only human.
> 
> And a huge thanks to everybody who leaves kudos and/or comments. They really do make me super happy!

The men behind the weapons were silent as they continued to point them straight at you. You remained silent and didn’t move as the guys walked into the kitchen, Haywood remaining by the dining room table with Jones on your right and the guy you didn’t know on your left. They probably didn't have orders to kill you but you could never be too careful.

“Long time no see” Jones said with a slight wave with the assault rifle. You returned his smile and relaxed slightly, they would have killed you at this point if that was their mission.

“Indeed, what’s it been like six hours? Nice that you gave me time to get in the shower.”

“Wouldn't want you dirty anyways” the unknown guy chipped in and his smile was more sinister than the rest of them. “Been whoring around all this time?”

His question baffled you. The fuck was he talking about, when in Gods name had you been whoring out? You hadn't been active that way in years, and without a boyfriend even longer. Whoring out? You could feel your blood pressure rising, who was this kid coming into _your_ home and accuse you of being a whore?

“Aw, well isn't it your current client” the douche bag laughed as you saw Adam enter the room with a rifle that was stashed in your bedroom. “She any good?”

The sneer was too much, you could feel the rage take over. The side of you that had earned you the reputation you had, the reputation of being crazy and ruthless took over. Before Adam had the chance to respond you took advantage of the fact that Douche bag’s attention was momentarily on Adam thinking _he_ was the threat here. Without a second thought of possible intervention from Jones or Haywood you reached behind you and picked up the kitchen knife that was laying on the counter. You leaped at the idiot and drove the kitchen knife with all your strength into the back of his neck right between the second and third vertebra and twisted the knife. Douche bag screamed out loud as his body became limp and he flopped on the floor. His eyes bulged out of his face as he continued to scream. You saw the blood drip from the blade and slowly looked up to see the others reactions as the immediate rage was simmering down.

Adam looked down at the man on the floor and lowered his gun. His eyes met yours and he nodded slightly to answer your unasked question, the man was going to die slowly and surely. The screams echoed in the apartment. Jones was silent behind you and as you turned your head to look at him you could see that he seemed shocked but that he was trying his hardest not to let it show. You turned back to look at Haywood. Not surprisingly he didn't seem bothered even the slightest. The mask hid his face but he seemed almost bored. He took a few steps closer to you and you watched him stomp on Douche bags head. The squishy sound and the stopped screaming was all you needed to know and you walked back to the sink to wash the blood spatter off your hands. The knife thunked against the metal as you dropped it in the sink and made a mental note to throw that away. The sloshing of the water was all that was heard for a few seconds.

“Two minutes. I owe you” you heard Haywood's deep voice boom with amusement from behind you. The sound of guns on marble repeated itself a few times before Jones answered.

“I was so sure that he wouldn't open his mouth until we were at least at the car.” Jones muttered disappointingly. “Good riddance I say, but how he went… That was brutal, man.”

“Well that’s no way to talk to a queen” Haywood countered as you turned the tap off and dried your hand in the kitchen towel. That too needed to go now, you thought with remorse; that towel was one of your favorites. Fucking idiot.

You turned around and leaned against the counters carefully avoiding the wetness in front of the sink. Haywood was amused behind the mask as his eyes connected with yours. He was hunched over the island, his large torso resting against his muscled arms. He was wearing the usual worn blue biker jacket that hung open. His assault rifle rested on the island in front of you. Jones was to your right, leaning against the pantry door. He had crossed his ankles and the rifle was hanging on his relaxed right hand. His brown leather jacket was also open, revealing a worn black t-shirt. He glanced at you and flashed a grin. He didn’t seem to be bothered by the corpse laying on the floor one bit. Adam was leaning against the wall, right between the other two. He was looking at the corpse, probably thinking about the possibilities of disposing it. He grabbed his phone and texted someone to come get rid of the evidence.

“Thanks by the way” Jones laughed and relieved some of the tension in the room. “That piece of shit was a liability anyways.”

“So I help your crew out and you repay me with bringing a douche bag into my home who insults me?” your voice remained calm and articulated but you felt the rage bubble inside you. These pieces of shit. “I put my own life on the line, pulled Ramsay through _hell_ to keep him alive, patched him up and delivered him to your feet while you were jerking off somewhere when I was only supposed to observe? If it wasn’t for me Ramsay would have died on that platform! You fucking assholes, how dare you come to my home and say all these things?!”

You boiled with rage. You rarely raised your voice like this, and you could feel your body shake as you paced in the kitchen. Your mind raced through all the ways they would pay for this game they were playing. You could make them scream in mere minutes if you only got the chance. You out yourself in front of the cops to protect them and they spit in your face, made you do their dirty work and then laughed at it. They even bet on how long it would take for you to kill the man. Arrogant fucking scum. You didn't understand how you even thought they would be anything more than this. Fuck this.

“Hey relax” Jones chipped in and reached his hand to touch your shoulder. The warning from Adam barely left his lips before you had grabbed the hand and twisted it so hard and quickly Jones fell to the ground. He lifted his rifle and pointed it directly in between your eyes.

“Please children” Haywood sighed and stepped in between you breaking your eye contact. He separated your hand from Jones’ with ease and Jones took a few steps back from you two cursing and rubbing his hand. You knew that it would be sore for a few days and felt pleased with yourself. _Nobody_ touched you without your permission. Haywood shook his head at Jones and then turned to face you. He towered over you as you looked into his eyes only now realizing how ice blue they were. The amusement wasn’t totally gone but was partially replaced with irritation. You crossed your arms in front of your chest and didn't back away from his gaze. His smell invaded the air around you, the slight smell of gunpowder mixed with his unique smell and you couldn't deny that he smelled good.

“Please relax” Haywood's voice echoed from behind the mask as he continued to stare at you directly in the eyes. “We’re not here to insult you, and we most definitely didn't mean for any of our actions to insult you either. The bet we mentioned wasn't about the time it took to kill him but about the time it took for Cole here” Haywood kicked the corpse “to open his mouth and say something that could get him killed. We didn't intend this, he tagged along and was meant to be shot on the way back.”

His eyes searched yours for any signs that you believed his story. It did make sense and you wanted to believe it but you still stood wary as you continued to stare at him ignoring the other two. Something about his words rang true but you couldn't be too careful as the last time you trusted someones word without a second thought didn't end well. The long scar on your left thigh from the car accident that was caused by this trust, throbbed to the pace of your heartbeat.

“Trust us or not” Jones said from behind Haywood “Geoff would still like us to escort you to see him. We should head back soon.” You looked away from the ice inside Haywood’s mask to peak around his frame. Jones stood a few feet behind the two of you and held onto his rifle his face showing the wariness he had towards you. Adam stood to Jones’ side but looked only at you. His face showed worry but mostly for the other guys. He never openly worried about you, only the other guys.

“Fine” you huffed and walked around the men who all seemed to relax slightly. “I still do not like nor trust you.” You added as you walked out to the entryway and slipped into your sneakers. You lifted your right leg up on the little stool you had by the wall and tightened the knot. As you changed legs and tied the left shoe the men caught up with you. Jones walked past you to the door where he turned around and waited for the rest of you. The assault rifle was in front of him, ready to be used if necessary. He didn't trust you either. Smart.

Haywood strolled behind Jones with Adam, both of them quietly talking with each other. Adam threw on his jacket and shoes as you grabbed your handbag. The four of you exited the apartment and entered the elevator. The ride down was uncomfortably quiet. You stood in the middle of the elevator with Haywood behind you, Jones to your left and Adam to your right. Adam tapped his fingers against his thigh as you all stared at the red number flashing in front of you.

“Wanna drive?” Haywood's voice startled all of you as he leaned in to talk to you. Jones looked behind you at Haywood, disbelief in his eyes.

“What?” he screeched. “Are you crazy!?”

“It’ll be tight in one car. Too many egos in one tiny box of metal” Haywood replied amusement clear in his voice. Adam glanced at you before resuming his tapping.

“I’d love to.” you answered Haywood's original question and you could feel that he was pleased. Adam smiled slightly beside you but Jones huffed as he turned around once more.

“How are we going to do this Ryan?” He said with clenched teeth. “Give her a map and hope she gets there?”

“Of course not. You’re gonna get in the car with her and Adam and I will be in the other one. Like a race, who get’s there first and all that.” You liked the sound of that. You didn't particularly want to be in a car with Jones but you’d always wanted to race Haywood, see what he’s made of.

“I’m in.” you smirked as the doors opened to the empty lobby. You walked out of the building and stood by the cars.

“Michael will direct you to the right address. May the best driver win.” Haywood said and with that you all scattered. You ran to your car with Jones close behind. You threw yourself in the drivers seat and started the engine as Jones slammed his door close. You revved up the engine and tore out of the parking space only a few feet in front of Haywood.

“Take a right!” You cut the corner and you could hear and feel the tires squeal. Jones leaned back in his seat and barked orders at you, as you drove faster and faster through the evening traffic. The sweet sound of car horns and passing cars was like music to you and you felt so alive right now. The streetlights swooshed by you as you stepped on the pedal and weaved through the oncoming traffic. Haywood was a car behind you as you turned into Vespucci Boulevard heading east but you saw that Haywood continued north.

“Where’s he going?” you asked Jones as you passed a slow moving jeep on the bridge over canal.

“I don’t know” he answered and a quick look at his face confirmed what he was saying. You found that you could read Jones like a book, no matter how hard he tried to conceal his thoughts. “That’s not even a shortcut…”

“I’m sure he’s up to something.” You muttered as you concentrated on passing a tight spot in the traffic on the bridge. Jones nodded and rubbed his hand absentmindedly as you turned right on his command.

“Still sore?” you asked and nodded at the hand when he looked confused. “I’m sorry I twisted it so hard. It’s just… I don’t like people touching me, especially when I’m upset.”

“All my fault” Jones answered and opened his mouth to say something. His answer was cut off by the sudden shrill sirens that emerged from behind you. You cursed as you accelerated, speeding down the road trying to evade the cops.

“Take a left, there’s alleys there where we can hide!” Jones shouted and held on as you turned the corner way faster than was safe. You turned into a dark alley and the two of you bolted out of the car.

“This way!” Jones motioned with his hand and you followed him into a smaller alley. You ran faster when the sirens neared and echoed on the buildings. You took a few turns and slowed down when you were certain that the cops had lost you.

“That was interesting.” you huffed as you emerged into the crowd on the sidewalk Jones besides you.

“Indeed. Can’t remember when was the last time I needed to run away from the cops.” he answered you and hung his head so that the people around you didn't immediately recognize him. You hoisted up your bag on your shoulder as you continued to walk east.

“It’s not that far, I think we’ll be better of if we just walked.” Jones commentated and stuck his hands into his pocket. “Goddamit, I left my rifle in the fucking car!”

“It’s better of this way. I got a few pistols in my bag if we need them, but you would have stuck out from the crowd like a sore thumb if you had your rifle.” you said as you crossed a road. Most of the people out on the streets were walking on the other side of the roads so you felt a bit exposed but were glad that nobody were close enough to recognize either of you.

“Yeah, that’s like your thing isn't it? Blending in right?” Jones asked as the wind tugged at your hair. His brown curls bounced with every step he took, while yours flowed free in the wind, though most of it was in your face. He took a look at you when he asked his question and the air and the run had made his cheeks pink. You wondered if yours were too.

“Yeah. You can blend in where ever you want if you know what you’re doing. “ you stated as you flexed your fingers to warm them after the cold wind. “For example if one puts on a reflective vest, one disappears into the crowd at LS airport. Don on sporty clothes in a park and nobody looks at you more than once. It’s all about the knowledge of what to wear and the attitude you have with the clothes.”

“Wait… At the airport?” Jones asked and looked at you as you cut the corner and turned into an alleyway that was poorly lit.

“Yeah. I was there on Thursday. Like a few hundred yards from you and you never noticed. But I noticed everything you did or didn't do.”

“That’s kinda impressive but also scary as fuck.” Michael said with a shake of his head. “I never even noticed anything out of the ordinary.”

“I know, that’s kinda the whole point.” You laughed and Michael joined you relieving some of the tension from the short chase. As you took another turn you were faced with Haywood and Adam leaning against their car in front of large old office building’s back entrance. Their conversation was cut short as Michael's laugh echoed in the alley. The two men stepped away from the car and walked towards to meet you.

“What’s so funny?” Haywood asked you both. You and Adam exchanged looks, both confirming that you were okay.

“I was just telling him about how I have been following you for the past few days.” you said with a smirk and watched Haywood's reaction. He looked at you and you could see his brain trying to place you. A few seconds later his eyes widened.

“Airport right? I knew there was something off about that coffee.”

“Yeah, just casing out your hearing in case I needed that information.” You answered and smiled. Haywood looked at you in disbelief, you could feel his confusion and struggle to place you somewhere else. You were pleased that you had blended in this well. Adam cleared his throat when you continued to look at Haywood.

“If you two could stop with your weird flirting, I believe we’re here to meet the rest of the crew?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to leave comments and kudos if you so please. Next chapter isn't going up on Sunday as they usually do, but I'll strive for Tuesday. Love you all!


	7. The meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time to face the whole crew

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay for another chapter! Currently writing chapter 9 and I'm so excited to soon have all the filler/background things sorted and published. :) 
> 
> Thank you all for the comments and kudos <3 
> 
> And as always heads-up for potential typos etc :)

Your steps echoed in the narrow stairway. It was dark and you could smell the dampness of the building. The stairs creaked from the weight of Michael as he was walking in front of you. You stepped over the creaky stair but the two men behind you didn't care about the noise. You’ve always been very alert on the sounds you made when in an unfamiliar place, even when you knew there probably wouldn't be any threat on your life. 

Jones pushed open a steel door and led the way through it. The space was open, cubicles littered through out the floor. This must have been an bustling office once upon a time but since the recession been left to stand empty. The windows faced the canal and the downtown in the distance and a lone police car cruised down the street below you. That reminded you.

“You wouldn't have any clue about the sudden swarm of cops on me and Michael on the way here?” you asked innocently and turned to look at Haywood. His booming laughter and the knowing smile on Adams face told you everything.

“Couldn’t take me in a fair race huh?” you smirked as you turned away and continued to walk after Michael who was shaking his head. Haywood was silent for a few seconds as you continued to march towards some closed off offices to the far left. 

“Oh I think I can take you.” You heard Haywood's deep voice echo from behind you and you couldn't help but to shiver. 

“Is that so?” You murmured your answer. Before he could give you a response the mood was ruined by the agitated groan coming from Adam who was walking behind Haywood.

“Could you just please stop with that. I don’t need to hear this!” he groaned as you all stopped in front of a non descriptive office door. There wasn't anything special with this one, it matched every other door on the floor. The only thing special about this one was that there wasn't a layer of dust on the handle. As you watched the door, it opened. Lindsay Jones poked her head through the crack and smiled at Michael and the rest of you. Her hair shimmered in the flickering light coming from the room.

“Hear what?” she smiled and pushed the door open to let you in. 

“These two psychopaths need a room” Michael commentated as he walked past her into the room. You followed after him, meeting Lindsay’s curious look and smile. You already liked her, even though you didn't know why and it was rare that you took an instant liking to somebody.

“Hey I’m on a murder break!” Haywood exclaimed amused as he strolled through the door after you and earned a round of groans from the people in the room. 

Ramsay was sitting behind a worn wooden desk that was situated in the room. He looked tired but smiled at you nonetheless. He had his feet up on the table and you glanced at his thigh. You could see the bulge of the bandage on his thigh, with every sign pointing to that he was fine or on the way to recovery. 

Narvaes leaned on the wall behind Geoff slightly to his left. He stared at you without any emotion and you got the feeling that he didn't trust you much or even at all. His suit was tight around his shoulders as he stood with crossed arms the sniper rifle leaning on the wall beside him. 

Free was standing to the right of Geoff and looked at you with a slightly hesitating look. His nose was bruised and swollen and you could the marks that you left on him as you knocked him out earlier in the warehouse. He had changed his shirt, the earlier probably stained from the blood pouring from his nose. His sunglasses hung from the front of his shirt. You flashed him an apologetic smile.

Patillo was standing stoically between Geoff and Free. He also was hesitant of you and had his arms crossed. He was slightly in the shadows and the flickering of the candles on the table enhanced his terrifying appearance.

Lindsay and Michael stood close together on your right side, both of them looking at you like friends. You wondered what Michael had whispered to her to make her look at you like that or had she come to her own conclusions about you. 

Haywood stepped around you to get to the wall on your left side, leaving you and Adam standing by the door. He crossed his arms and stared at you, making you suddenly self conscious. You caught yourself wondering what he might be thinking about. With a quick shake of your head you focused on Ramsay.

“Good to see you again.” Geoff smiled at you and lifted his feet from the desk. He leaned forward in his chair and rested his chin on his hands as he looked at you. You smiled at him, not giving him any verbal response. You wanted to let the man speak freely without you influencing his choice of words.

“I guess I owe you.” the man continued after a few seconds. His voice was steady, his breath smelled of whiskey. It was not unknown to the county that the leader liked his drinks. The flickering light illuminated him from underneath giving him a more sinister look than normally. The contrast between his light skin and the tattoos was gorgeous and you caught yourself thinking about how the tattoos would look on your more tanned skin.

“I guess you do.” you answered the man with a sincere smile. You were actually okay with everything you had done that day. Letting him die on that platform would have weighed on your already heavy conscious. Ramsay stood up from his chair and leaned over the desk with his hand extended out. You grabbed his hand and you shook, both of you nodded. 

“So I can count on you providing me and my crew assistance if I ever need it?” you asked as you let go of his arm. Ramsay nodded and sat down again and you took a step back to be near Adam again if you needed backup. 

“Yes. We’ll try our best to provide you with anything you might ask for. That’s the least we can do after all that you did for us. All of the crew came to the same conclusions when they heard about what you had done for us.”

This statement was backed up with nodding from all over the room.

“It was nothing out of the ordinary” you answered even though you felt otherwise. It had been a struggle the whole time, the decision making and then the whole ordeal of the physical work that had been put in to drag Ramsay out of the grave that was the platform. “I would like to believe that it would’ve worked the other way around but as a realist that’s something that I can’t believe in a hundred percent.”

“I don’t think we would’ve even recognized you to be honest.” Michael chipped in from the corner and earned a few nods, especially from Free and Patillo who hadn’t been in Paleto Bay a few years ago.

“That’s what I aim for.” you answered with a smile and felt pleased with the fact that you remained faceless to the most powerful crew in Los Santos all these years. Of course, after this ordeal they would know your face and you needed to be careful not to let them take advantage of this. You felt vulnerable in a weird way. You sought attention your whole life, but now that you stood face to face with it without the protection of being a faceless rumor, you felt naked but thrilled at the same time.

“So we’ve heard. I have a few practical things to go through with you before you’re free to go so to say.” Ramsay said and looked around at the crew. “And I like to do this alone.”

The crew started to move, and you stepped out of the way to let them use the door. Adam stood still for a while waiting for instructions. You signaled that it was okay and that he should leave the room. He looked at you for a few seconds searching your face for something before his shoulders sank and he left the room. Patillo was right behind him and with a last look at you and then at Ramsay he closed the door behind him quieting the hushed chatter from the other side. 

Ramsay motioned for you to sit down and you obliged pulling a worn chair from the corner to the other side of the desk. Ramsay leaned back with his arms resting on his armrests as you sat down and tucked your right foot underneath you, getting comfortable as you thought this would take some time. 

“How are the wounds?” you asked as you were settling down. Ramsay sighed and patted his thigh with his hand.

“The thigh one was worse as you thought. Quite near the artery but not close enough. Doc says I’m gonna be up and running in a week or so but in full health in a month. He reminded me to thank you for your bandaging, he said it was what kept me alive to get to him in time.”

“No problem.” you answered as you leaned back in your chair. It was surprisingly comfortable you thought and wondered where you could buy some for back home up north. You were both quiet for a long time, both of you deep in thought.

“So…” Ramsay cleared his throat and pulled you both back into real time. “I wanted to talk to you about a few things. First of all, nice hit on Gavin.”

You laughed with him as he explained how much joy the guys had had when they had found Free in the warehouse. He also admitted that it was foolish of them to try to contain you especially only with Free.

“Secondly, I got you a car as I promised earlier. It’s downstairs and ready for you. It’s the same make and model we destroyed, but we didn’t modify it as we weren’t sure about your preference.”

“That’s fine, and thank you for the car.”

“It’s nothing” the man responded and leaned forward. “Also, I’m sorry about what happened tonight, I heard that one of my employees crossed the line. I’m more than happy to get rid of anything that was left behind.”

“It’s already been taken care of. I do expect some kind of reimbursement for all the effort it took to dispose Cole.” you answered him with a seriousness you hadn’t shown him yet. You were still pissed off by the guy and Ramsay could see that. He assured you that that wasn’t an issue and apologized once more. 

“There’s one last thing I need to discuss with you. I know it’s a major thing to ask from you after all this shit, but as I’m out of commission for a fucking lifetime we could need some help with an upcoming heist. It’s really shitty to ask you but you’re one of the few I can trust to get the thing done. You don’t have to give me an answer right away, but please just consider it.”

“What kind of heist is it?” you asked intrigued. Your crew did heists but they were never in the same caliber as the Fake AH Crews heists, mostly because there weren't high level targets up north. Your crew was more than capable to pull these heists but in order to get high level targets you needed to either hit a convoy or move down south and run into the AH crews territory. The option on getting in on LS heists would be huge for your crew. 

“We haven’t figured it out. It’s a scheduled heist as we call them, the one heist per month that we do to cover our expenses. It’s either gonna be a bank up in Vinewood or in the downtown area.”

“I’ll think about it.” you answered him as you both stood up. Ramsay walked around the table and you could see that he was in pain when he put weight on the leg. He waved at you when he saw the worry on your face to signal that he was okay. You shook your head at the man, fucking men and their need to be stoic.

Ramsay opened the door and you exited the small office. The chatter outside stopped as you entered the space. You could see Free and the Jones’ grouped together to the left, Adam standing with Haywood and Narvaes to the right and Patillo sitting on one cubicle desk in the middle. They all started walking towards you when they saw you. You turned to face Ramsay and shook his hand one more time.

“I’ll give it a thought. Can’t see why not it wouldn’t work. I’ll contact you in a few days, I need to attend to some business back at home first.”

You let go off his hand and walked past all the curious faces. They all looked either at you or at Geoff to let them in on the secret but neither of you answered. You could feel a pair of eyes burn into the back of your head and you didn’t need to turn around to know it was Haywood. You shook away the feelings that him staring at you had made as you walked up to Adam. Without a word he waved the guys goodbye and followed you down the dark and cramped stairs leading to the small parking area underneath the building.

“So what was that all about? The guys were going crazy not knowing what you were discussing.” Adams words blended in with the sounds of boots hitting the stairs.

“I’ll tell you in the car but for now we need to go pack and return home. I still have a guest waiting for me and I wouldn’t like for him to have to wait for me any longer.” The smile that grazed your lips was wicked and you could hear Adam shudder in the darkness.

Oh, how this would be fun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, comments and kudos make my heart lighter. Next chapter is probably going up on either Saturday or Sunday.


	8. Home Sweet Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Getting home and meeting old friends

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I accidentally deleted this chapter I put up yesterday so here it is again! 
> 
> And thank you all (again) for your kind words and encouragement! Your words meant the world to me! I'm doing much better but I'm still recovering so chapter updating might be a little slow but I promise there'll be at least two new chapters before Christmas :)
> 
> Love you lots!
> 
> (Warning about typos is still relevant)

The packing took almost no time at all when you arrived at the penthouse. You had left your car with a local mechanic you could trust with strict instructions and orders to have it done in two hours. To your satisfaction the corpse had vanished from the kitchen without a trace and you sent a thank you text to Shane. Shane was one of the guys your crew employed just for shit like this. He was one of three men who cleaned up the mess without asking any questions or passing any judgment. Shane was arguably the best of the lot, and you were pleased that Adam had called him for this gig. You didn’t want any traces of blood in your own apartment as it was incriminating evidence in a murder, and snooping investigators were the last thing you wanted to be bothered with.

You walked through the penthouse one last time to check that you didn’t leave anything personal there in case of a break-in, or any weapons that you might need on the ride back north. You also checked that you had turned every light off and activated the security alarms on your way out. Adam had already gone down to get your car and you were glad that he offered to do so. You had two duffle bags with you filled with weapons and clothing you wanted to take with you and the bags were heavy. After the workout you had had in the subway you felt like you couldn’t carry the bags all the way to the mechanic.

The elevator dinged and you walked through the empty lobby and greeted the doorman on your way out. Just on time you could hear the powerful engine of your car echo on the buildings and saw Adam come speeding down the street, braking heavily to stop in front of you. You threw the bags in the backseat as Adam stepped out of the car with a large smile. He, like you, got a huge thrill whenever driving. He plopped down in the passenger’s seat as you walked around the car. You stopped at the door and stared directly into the security camera by the entrance to the building. You smiled and waved slightly to the camera, sure of the fact that Lindsay was watching. You opened the door and sat down, breathing in the new car smell.

* * *

 

The sun shone down on you both as you sped down the Los Santos freeway. The music from your favorite radio station filled the air in the car as you sped away from the city and into the desert dodging cars left and right. Adam was quiet beside you, going over plans for a new heist your crew was up to up in Paleto Bay on his iFruit tablet. You had your left hand resting on the open window as you hit an area with less traffic allowing you to relax slightly more behind the wheel. You sang along to your favorite song, much to the annoyance of Adam.

You glanced over the big Tataviam mountains to your right as you let out a long sigh. This past week had been so overwhelming that you only just now had the chance to regroup. The wind blowing through the open windows shuffled your hair all over the place and you had to tuck it behind your ears every now and then. Your mind was blank as you stared at the road in front of you, the thoughts and worries left behind for a while. You promised yourself a bit of alone time when you got back to home base, maybe a bath or a quiet walk in the wilderness.

“So I’ve been thinking about something that I don’t think you’ll like very much.” Adams voice broke your quiet thoughts and you turned to face him as you sped past the penitentiary. He had his knee resting against the dash and his hair was tussled in the wind. He had a loose grip on his tablet, the hand resting on his knee.

“I never like your ideas Adam.” You said to him playfully as you returned your gaze to the road.

The traffic was denser now than it was just before as you started to approach the exit to Sandy Shores. You stared to slow down to prepare for the turn. The cars around you were old and rusty, your new black sports car stuck out from the mass but you couldn’t care less. Here the people knew that they shouldn’t mess with cars like this, that the person inside was probably a member of your crew. Right on cue the cars started to swerve to the sides of the road to let you pass them. You could feel a smile forming on your face as you turned into Route 68, avoiding heading into Sandy Shores itself by taking the southern road.

“Hey, I do have some good ones too!” Adam said with mock anger as he punched your shoulder. You stuck out your tongue at him as you stepped on the pedal once more. “Someone’s eager to get home.”

“Sure am. There’s a toy in the basement for me and I’m looking forward to some private time to sort my brain out. What’s there not to look forward too?” you commentated as you passed a slow moving tractor. You hated the tractors and other things reminding you of the vast hillbilly population around this area. You couldn’t stand their way of talking, like they didn’t have to be anywhere in the following few hours.

“Blue and Elliot are keen to see you again.” Adam laughed and looked out of the window, staring at the passing town.“I know they were super worried. But to get back to my earlier point; Elliot sent me the preliminary plan for the heist in Paleto. I think we need a different distraction than is currently being planned.”

The plan was essentially just to cause chaos in the middle of Paleto, getting the cops there to sort it out while you and Blue sneaked into the police station to bust out a member and destroy some evidence against your crew. Blue is meant to get the guy and you’re meant to get the evidence from the evidence lockup.

“What do you mean?” you asked Adam as you turned right and up north towards the lake. You took the slightly longer route back home as your base was on the other side of the lake but this route was far less busy and you could drive faster. The huge billboards around you cast a shadow in the scorching heat underneath the desert sun.

“I mean that if we do it as planned, I’m afraid that the cops will catch on and realize what we’re doing. I mean we can’t underestimate them, I would catch on that something was off if a group of us just caused mayhem without a clear cause, y’know?”

“Oh, I see what you mean…” you muttered as you turned on the sandy road leading around the lake. The sand created clouds around you as some stray gravel hit the underneath of your car. “You’re right it’ll look suspicious if you’re not doing anything but messing around on the main street. Especially when they have one of ours in their holding cells.”

You both fell quiet as you drove around the lake. There wasn’t any traffic on the road, most of the population around the lake was working or floating in the lake to escape the heat. You felt your hair stick to your neck and reminded yourself to tie it as you parked.

“You know, I could call Geoff… Ask him if he has any available crew members to us with the chaos. I think that if members of the AH and us worked together we could tie enough of the cops to main street to give me and Blue a decent chance. Make it look like it’s a crew war or something.” You stated as you slowed down to find the entrance to your compound.

“That might actually work.” Adam said after a few seconds of thinking. You laughed slightly at the surprised tone in his voice as you turned the wheel and turned into a small but steep path down towards the lake.

The iron gate that was shielded by the large trees and bushes that surrounded the compound was open as you drove through, closing behind you. The path was short but you had paved it, hating the sand that had came inside the house as people walked around the lot. The lake was right in front of you and the view took your breath away every time you drove down the short path. The lot faced directly Sandy Shores from the north and the Vinewood hills were looming behind the town, by night the view was gorgeous. By the lake was a small dock with a few boats tied to it and you enjoyed to sit at the end of the wooden dock by night watching the stars and the lights from the town. The rest of the shore was mostly rocks and vegetation that masked a large chunk of the view from the lake towards the house.

On your right side was a wooden garage building, the exterior matching the houses. The boards were painted with a grey paint, the color blending in with the rocks that surrounded the lot. There were three large metal doors that lead into the garage itself and you drove your car towards one of them. The door in the middle opened and you carefully squeezed the car through it not wanting to destroy the new coat of paint on the car. The inside of the garage was lit with overhead lights and the five other cars in the garage were shining in the light. You parked in the middle, surrounded by Blue’s, Elliot’s and Adam’s cars as well as the large crew car that held ten people and the Jeep that was meant for crew transportation. Behind the jeep were three motorcycles in a row.

You turned off the car and remembered to tie your hair in a messy bun. Adam got out of the car as you grabbed your handbag. You slammed the door and grabbed one of the duffle bags in the back before exiting the garage with the doors closing silently behind you. A few of the crew members on the yard greeted you and you waved as you headed towards the main house.

The main house was located on the left side of the path into the lot. The building itself was large, painted grey and in the style of home’s from the east coast with a large patio and huge windows with white frames. There were a few steps up to the patio that was shaded by the second floor. There were a few chairs and tables scattered around the side of the patio facing the lake. The main doors faced the path and there were a few hidden cameras in the roof above your head that covered the patio and the front doors.

You had barely gotten up the stairs to the patio when the doors opened and you could only see a blur of movement before you were embraced in a hug. You were caught by surprise and didn’t hug back until the person started to talk.

“God fucking damnit you idiot! I was so fucking worried the whole fucking day until Adam was kind enough to call me and tell me that you were okay and not chopped into bits and thrown into the fucking sea!”

You laughed into the hug as you wrapped your arms around the ball of rage that was Elliot. You recalled now that you forgot to call her back after the whole subway incident.

“I’m so sorry.” You said between the giggles. Elliot was always so incredibly scared and worried when you went out on missions like this. You held the woman by her shoulders as you took a step back from the hug.

Elliot was the most beautiful member of your crew. She was slightly longer than you with light brown hair that fell in slight waves down to her waist. Her eyes were a glimmering shade of green, the green that the trees were very early in the spring. Her figure was the perfect hourglass; she could probably model if she wanted too. Her hands were slim and defined by her role in the crew; she handled the electronics and hacking when needed and the economics during normal business hours. But you shouldn’t be fooled by her looks, she cursed like a sailor and was very trigger happy when given weapons.

“I’m totally fine Elliot.” you said to her and let her go to grab your bags again. Adam had disappeared into the house somewhere and left you alone with one of your best friends. Elliot huffed slightly but followed you still into the house.

Once you entered the house you stepped into the massive lobby space with the large staircase leading to the upper floor. Behind the stairs was a small door leading into the basement. The whole house was decorated with shades of white, grey and beige complementing the amazing views from the large windows. The whole left side of the house, the part of the house that was facing the road and away from the lake was what you called the crew space. The space was filled with large tables with chairs and couches with the purpose of having some space for the crew to relax and lay low in if they needed it. The room had also the monitoring spaces for the two that were on watch duty. There were large monitors showing the feed from the alarm systems and cameras, police activity and the newsfeed from the whole county. The space was paired with a similar one in the basement. The spaces were more popular than you had thought and even now as you walked past the doors to the room you heard chatter and laughter.

The rest of the ground floor was open space that gave vast views of the lake. The space had a light large kitchen, dining room and a living room that were very similar to the penthouse in Los Santos. One of the getaway drivers, John, was getting a sandwich from the fridge as you walked in. You greeted each other and you informed him of the new car in the garage and asked if he could take a look at it to check for tracking devices or other possible threats you could’ve missed before heading up the stairs behind Elliot.

The second floor was reserved only for you, Blue and Elliot as the three of you lived in this house for the majority of the time. You had your bedrooms and personal spaces here. As you stepped into the second floor hall the door to your right led into Blue’s bedroom and bath, the door to your left lead into Elliot’s identical space. There were also two doors straight ahead of the stairs. The left one led to a balcony that had a view of the opposite side of the house from the front doors, the view looking on to the road and the lake and the point a few hundred yards ahead where they connected. The door to the right lead into your bedroom and bath.

Your bedroom was large and light and the floor to ceiling windows were covered with almost see-through white curtains while the darker ones for the night were pulled to the sides. A large bed was in the middle of the room, the headboard against the wall opposite the huge windows that faced the lake. There was a small chair with an ottoman by the windows and an area rug that felt soft underneath your bare feet. The wind was moving the curtains and the airflow felt cool after the long sweaty ride back home.

You threw your bags on the bed as you walked into your bathroom to wash your face. You heard Elliot plop onto the bed and as you dried your face you heard the door opening.

“What’s up?” Blue’s cheery voice carried into the bathroom and you put the towel down.

The woman standing in the room with you two was blonde with her frayed hair was in a bun and a large smile on her face. Her body was lean and muscular and tanned from being outside in the heat all day. She was wearing a loose t-shirt with some kind of surfing themed picture in the front and denim minishorts. Her wound on her right thigh was still bandaged and the whiteness contrasted sharply against the tanned skin. She got the wound in a routine operation in Sandy Shores when a shop owner decided to be a hero. Blue was shot in the leg and the man was shot in the face. Blue stepped towards you and you shared a hug.

“Told you she was fine.” Blue chuckled to Elliot as you both let go. “It takes more than that to off her. Were you even injured?”

“Graze on my right side.” You answered as you started to unpack your bags.

“See?” Blue laughed and her loud laughter echoed in the room. “Stop worrying so much Elliot, you’re gonna get a heart attack when you’re like 30.”

“Oh shut up both of you.” Elliot huffed from the bed as she handed you clothing from the bag. “You know I can’t help it.”

“You’re such a mom.” You commentated from the closet.

“Goddamit you.” Elliot groaned from the bed and flopped down irritated by the old joke that you shared.

“Hey before you forget all the juicy stuff, you _need_ to tell us about the Fake AH Crew.” Blue said with enthusiasm and jumped on the bed with Elliot who immediately got up. You turned around to face them and shook your head. They looked like children.

“And don’t forget any details!” Elliot added as she crossed her legs trying to get comfortable. You also sat down on the bed and rested your head against the sea of pillows.

“Fine. You’re such a bunch of gossipers!”


	9. The Dungeons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tying up some loose ends before heading to Paleto Bay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look it's chapter nine!
> 
> Added some additional warnings as this chapter contains mentions of torture and I've been on Tumblr for so long that I know the shitstorm if I didn't tag that. Keeping that in mind, if you can't handle that I suggest you move on, because a few chapters ahead shit gets real graphic. Just wanted to give a heads up!
> 
> Also, thanks again for all the kudos and comments <3

After telling your friends everything you had seen and heard you all stood up from the bed. Elliot excused herself to go update the information in your database that you all had gathered on the AH Crew as Blue waited with you while you called Geoff to ask him if they could help with the job.

“Hey Geoff it’s me again. As much as it pains me to cash in one of the favors this soon, I could use some assistance in chaos this evening.” You had your phone on speaker as you walked around the room, a habit you had learned from your father when you were young. Blue was standing by the windows, looking out at the lake as she listened.

“Sure thing. I think I can spare a few guys, how many do you need and what kind of chaos are we looking at?” Geoff’s voice crackled through the speakers as he answered you. You could hear some yells and screams mixed with laughter in the background. He must be somewhere with his core crew.

“Three or four at max. Can’t say much on the phone, just that it’ll be loud and potentially very hostile. Actually, we’re counting on it being hostile so there’s that.”

“Sounds like a normal evening. I’ll round up some guys and send them up north.” Geoff answered and Blue nodded at you before exiting the room to make final preparations as the mission was going off tonight.

“I’ll send someone to Sandy Shores, let’s say to the airfield, to meet your guys as I’m gonna be tied up for a few hours.”

“Sounds great. Trevor’s hangar in two hours. I’ll make it happen.” Geoffs answer was followed by a large crash-noise from the phone and Geoff cursed before he hung up. Someone must’ve broken something and if your intel was correct it was probably Free.

You sighed and ran your fingers through your hair as you turned around from the window to face the bed and the wardrobe behind the bed. Rolling your shoulders you strolled to the wardrobe to change your clothing to suit your next mission. You put on a pair of worn old yoga pants to help with the heat but also provide enough warmth in the basement. You paired the pants with a cheap top that you had tens of just for occasions like these. You grabbed your phone and hopped down the stairs to the main floor and then entered the stairs for the basement.

The door closed behind you as you continued your journey down to the basement. The stairway was cramped and dark and you ran your fingers along the wall as you tended to do when you came down here because you liked the texture of the brick wall.

The stairs lead to a small lobby area. There was a door directly in front of you that opened into your weapons storage. To your right side that faced the lake was a large open space that held a few bunk beds as well as some old couches, a TV and a pool table. The room was empty right now as most of your crew was upstairs or preparing for various missions. You crossed the room to get to the far wall with large sliding doors. Behind the doors was your infirmary and you peeked your head through the doors.

The infirmary was very light and held four hospital beds which all were empty. Beside every single one was a small table and machines and curtains. To the far left was a small operation room fitted with everything one might need. The operation room was here because you couldn’t always rely on getting to the hospital for various reasons, the most prominent being a huge wanted level and leaving bullets and such in wasn’t really an option. Left of the door to the infirmary was a cabinet filled with medicine and equipment and you saw Adam sifting through the logs in the cabinet.

“Hey asshole, got a minute?” you said and startled him. He turned around to face you still holding the logs.

“Sure what’s up?” He said with a smile. “Just looked through our supplies and I seriously think we might need to go get some more, especially the antibiotics are running low after that incident.”

The incident he was talking about involved a bunch of your crew members going for a swim and ending up in the infirmary with cuts from the jagged rocks in the shallow waters and everybody knows how dirty the lake water was.

“Sure, I count on you to do that. That actually brings me to the thing I wanted to talk about. I called Geoff and he’s sending a few guys up here and I need someone to go get them by the airport and brief them. Wanna go, you could get the supplies on the same run?”

“Sounds great.” Adam said and tossed the logs back into the cabinet. He walked with you to the stairs. “You heading to the dungeons?”

Most of the crew referred to the left side of the basement as the dungeons, and it was there the prisoners were held before they were interrogated and… persuaded to talk.

“Yep. You might wanna give the guys upstairs a heads-up, I know the walls are thick but you never know if some sound might come through.” You said to Adam as he started to walk up the stairs.

Turning around you headed left and opened the large gray metal door. The door creaked and groaned as you pulled the heavy door open and stepped inside the long hallway that was dimly lit. You put your weight behind the pull that closed the door. You took a few steps forward before entering the room on your left.

The room was dark before you turned the switch. The light from the ceiling illuminated the tiled room. On the opposite wall from the door were three huge sinks for cleaning up afterwards. There was also a large shower to your left and to your right was an area designated for things that needed to be gotten rid of, for example clothing that had stained. Immediately to your left, by the door was a few hooks on the wall that held some plastic aprons and other protection and you put on an apron and slipped into a pair of shoes you had down here just for this purpose. You closed the door behind you as you left the room.

The dungeons had two corridors that formed an L with the second corridor turning right from the corridor from the door. You walked to the corner of the corridors, your steps echoing in the quiet space. On the wall that was directly in front of the door and to the left side of the second corridor were the four holding cells you had. On the opposite side of them were two large questioning rooms, the one further away had a pole in the middle, the other had a chair. Both rooms had shelves on the wall with numerous equipment you had chosen.

There weren’t many who knew how you had perfected your mechanics. It was just the people that had rescued you that one time many years ago. You had only just started with you crew when you got some unwanted attention from the crew ruling the Chilliad area before you. The crew held you captive for two weeks, experimenting on you, torturing you non-stop. When Adam, Elliot and Blue had came for you it had almost been too late, but you pulled through.

After that incident you had been determined to learn everything that torture had to offer and used your knowledge to kill the man responsible. You learned that you actually enjoyed this, enjoyed the power and ability to make people talk. It was during this time you befriended Trevor, the crazy fucker who ran the drug business around this area and owned the airport by the freeway. You two became quite close and to this day meet-up to grab some beers and shoot some coyotes.

You shuddered at the memories as you continued to walk in the dungeons before stopping at cell number 3. Inside was the man who had stolen from you and had used you. He had been here for a little over a week, half of it in complete darkness. You turned the lights on in the room blinding him as you opened the door and dragged his sobbing body across the corridor to the room with the chair.

You rolled your eyes at the man’s pathetic whimpering as you pulled him up on the chair and tied him to it. Stepping back you looked at him the first time.

The man was no more than 30 years old and you recognized his features. This man had freelanced for you a few times, providing some intel that you couldn’t get personally. It became apparent very soon that he had been selling information about your crew to smaller crews in the area as well as stolen some equipment from you.

“So Anton… Long time no see.” You said drawing out every single word. The man sobbed as he continued to slowly regain his vision. You crossed your arms as you continued to look at him.

“Oh god… It’s.. You… Oh please, I didn’t.. I didn’t mean it… Please… Please!” He sobbed as he thrashed against the bindings.

You suppressed a sigh, why did they all say the same thing? Every single fucking time.

“I think you know why we’re here today Anton” You said over your shoulder as you walked towards the shelving on the wall beside the door. You shifted your weight as you studied the things on the shelves as you continued. “So foolish of you Anton. Did you actually believe that I wouldn’t find out about your business? Did you think that I would be cool with this?”

You shushed his tired old excuses as you chose the butchers knife from the shelf and strolled across the room to start his punishment.

* * *

 

You dried your hands after washing them in the cleaning area and you brushed a wayward lock of hair off your forehead as you turned off the lights and exited the dungeons. The warm air in the house hit you right in the face as you had gotten used to the cold damp air in the cells. You dragged your feet as you started to climb up the stairs, suppressing a yawn. You were exhausted and just wanted to go to bed but you still had to go on the mission in Paleto Bay.

You pushed open the door to the main floor and were greeted by a group of people. Adam was laughing with Michael who had put on his leather jacket as the night was going to be chilly. Behind them on the small seat in the hall sat Ryan with his hands behind his back and his feet stretched out in front of him. He was in deep conversation with Lindsay who had tied up her hair in a bun and had a light trench coat on. They all greeted you as you entered the hall.

“Had fun?” Adam asked you as you closed the door behind you.

“Sure. Tell Shane that there’s a body needing to be disposed off in room two. Hey guys, I’m just gonna go change and then we’ll head out. I’m sure Adam has briefed you all on the mission?” They all confirmed this and you sprinted upstairs to change.

You quickly decided on black jeans and hoodie and you tied your hair in a ponytail. Perfect outfit to blend in on the street and still be incognito in possible security cameras. With one last look in the mirror you jogged downstairs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
> The next chapter should be going up on the 22th or 23th; just in time for some holiday reading. Happy holidays to all you awesome readers! <3


	10. The Drive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Driving to Paleto with a new friend

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy holidays! Here; have a chapter wrapped gently in a bow!
> 
> This'll be the last chapter for this year, I probably wont have a computer with me during the holidays, so no writing for me, but as soon as I get home I'll get on with the story!
> 
> Thanks for all the sweet comments! You truly are awesome!

The people accompanying you to Paleto were all in the lobby when you came down. They were all in conversations with each other except for Ryan whose eyes were glued onto you as soon as you emerged from the upper level lobby. You met his gaze and he flashed you a grin and shifted his weight. You smiled slightly back at him, wondering why he kept staring at you. You shook your thoughts clear as you stopped on the stairs a few steps above the rest to see them all and they could see you too. You cleared your throat as the chatter died down. You rested your right hand on the banister as you began to address the gathering.

“All right! Soon it’s go time on the Paleto mission and I just want to quickly go through it so everybody knows their positions and assignments so everything runs as smoothly as they always do. The objective of this mission is two parted; first we need to get Clive out of the police station before they wheel him to a federal penitentiary and secondly we know they got some information on us at the station. We need to get rid of that immediately and hence why we’re here right now and not a week from now. Too bad the cops know we’re pushed for time and are probably prepared for us to attack them straight on.

Let’s go through the assignments for each team. Team B and C, you are with Ryan and Michael and you are to cause mayhem on Procopio Drive by the construction site and the gas station. Your assignment is to a; not get killed and b; to tie up as many cops as possible.”

“Killing is allowed?” You heard the soft drawl you recognized as Ryan. There were a few snickers around the room and you could feel a smile tug your cheeks. Your eyes met his in the crowd and you could feel a familiar flutter in your stomach.

“Sure, kill as many cops as you want and need but no team killing please.” you answered him with a slight laugh as you shook your head at this oh-so-Ryan question.

“Let’s get back on point” you continued. “Blue’s going to be leading the rescue mission and her team is going to be assisting her in this. I trust you guys know what you’re doing as it’s what I’m paying you to do. They need some kind of back-up though, and that’s why I’m happy you’re here Lindsay. They need total darkness in the station, and I believe that you’re the perfect person for the job.”

You found Lindsay in the crowd and she nodded happily at you with a broad smile. ”Easy. Just tell me when and I’ll make it darker than you’ve never seen before.”

“Great. I’m going to be going in to the station as well to take care of the intel. Elliot will remain here as she’s needed for other things but will be on the radio monitoring the police radio as usual. After the mission we will rendezvous at McKenzie’s hangar. Team Chaos, you’ll be the last ones pulling out from the city, so wait until the all clear from the rest of us. Then loose the cops and meet us there. Blue’s team will be the first ones out, so make sure that Clive’s fine and then help team Chaos if they need it. I’ll pick up Lindsay on my way out of the town as well as driving her there in the first place. Everybody clear? Great! Kick off in one hour!” You added as the crew started to group itself together and wander out of the house.

You skipped down the rest of the stairs and grabbed Blues forearm as she was leaving.

“Blue! Did you get me one of the night-vision goggles your team uses?” you asked quietly as you pulled her away from the crowd. She followed you to the kitchen, nodding along while glancing behind you. Blue and her team were used in high risk missions that needed a lot of stealth and finesse. You had provided her team with a lot of equipment, mostly illegal stuff imported from around the world. One of the items her team had requested was these said goggles, high definition night vision goggles to be exact. They were the same type Special Forces uses on black-ops and were miles ahead of the local police forces equipment.

“Yeah I did. The goggles are in your car with the rest of the stuff you asked for.” Blue answered you when you were out of hearing distance from the AH crew members. You knew you could trust them but a part of you wanted to keep some kind of distance and privacy from them. They didn’t need to know everything you had in terms of equipment.

“Thanks. Care to keep it unknown to the AH members? Something warns me of trusting them with that kind of information.” You said as you two looked over the crowd leaving the house.

You could see a group assemble by some cars in the driveway. You quickly realized that was one of the teams causing chaos as your eyes locked with Ryan's. His eyes pierced the distance between you and you could feel the intensity of his thoughts as the crew around him laughed and planned the evenings events. Your thoughts seemed to fade away as his stare grew more and more intense. It was like… Like he knew you were holding something from him. Like his gaze could see your soul and all the darkness inside you. And for some odd reason that you didn’t want to think about you actually didn’t mind it.

Blue’s words cut through your haze just as Michael hit Ryan's arm breaking his state of mind. He looked at Michael who was saying something snappy to him and with a quick shrug and glance he refocused himself to the mission. Blue shoved you slightly with a slight laugh.

“Dear god just please get a fucking room already!” she laughed as she ran her hand through her hair. “It’s so painfully oblivious that you two need to fuck ASAP.”

“Shut up, you’re the one to talk” you responded to your friend as you two walked towards the doors. “You’ve been looking at James like you want to devour him.”

“At least I’m not denying it!” She laughed as she hopped down the porch steps into the yard and skipped towards her team waiting for her at their car. You smiled at her and wondered how wonderful it must be to be so goddamn optimistic and happy all the time.

“Deny what?” A cheery voice chirped from your left side. You jumped slightly but relaxed when you saw it was Lindsay who was sitting on the railing swinging her legs like a child whilst the breeze from the lake tugged her fiery hair in every direction. “Are you talking about the huge fucking sexual tension between you and Ryan?”

“What?” You spit out in complete shock. Was it really that obvious? You didn’t even know if there was a tension of that sort even though you must admit the sight of Ryan hopping into one of the crew cars with the chaos team made your stomach flutter. The reason behind that flutter was unclear to you, was it the sight of his arms extended on top of the car before he hopped in, was it the mask he put on or was it the possibility of never seeing him again?

“Honey it’s obvious as dicks” Lindsay laughed as she hopped down from the porch. “You two are eyeing each other like nobody's business.”

You skipped down the steps into the now almost empty yard, all other teams had started their journey to Paleto already. You walked to your black car with Lindsay following, and you both hopped in. You threw the car in reverse and turned the car around so you could drive out of the compound. The radio blasted out one of the newest hits as the car squealed out of the compound and hit the sandy roads.

“So… Tell me about yourself?” Lindsay asked as she slipped of her shoes and tugged them underneath her. She leaned against the window, her hair swirling in the wind. She was staring at you with anticipation and excitement.

“What?” You asked slightly confused about the situation. You had known this woman for a day and she wanted to share life stories? She was even a member of a rival gang, or at least a gang who you had had trouble with.

“You really want to do this?”

“Well yeah, otherwise I wouldn’t have asked. I know that you might not trust me immediately, but I trust you and could seriously see us being friends. Only if that’s cool with you of course.” She added with a laugh as she looked at the road.

You were driving carefully and trying not to get yourself noticed by the wrong people.

“Well we have time. “ You said with a sigh. “The trip to Paleto is much longer because we need to behave. What a fucking pain. So yeah, I’ll play ball. What do you want to know?"

Lindsay let out some kind of a laugh mixed with excitement as she looked back at you.

“Well I know you’re from Los Santos and that you moved to Sandy Shores when you were young and that you saved Geoff for some odd reason the other day but that’s pretty much it. You’ve been very good at hiding yourself from any kind of record or camera.”

“That has kinda been my mission, I’ve never wanted to be known for this, to be some kind of a known villain of sorts. It’s just been so much easier being the shadow than the person you know?” You answer as you wait at a stop light. Lindsay was staring intensely at you.

“Yeah, I can imagine that that would be nice. It’s easier in a way to be known, you know. I mean every single person in Los Santos knows my face and knows who I am. No more waiting in lines at coffee shops or pizzerias, easier to walk in crowds as everybody avoids us but also harder because there isn’t anything stealthy anymore. Can’t walk openly into a bank or a store without an alarm or walk on a street if you know there’s police in the area.”

You both fell quiet in the car as you turned to the highway leading into Paleto.

“It’s not as easy as one would think huh…” you muttered out loud. “I mean, somethings are easier than I originally thought I could never ever do. But I never thought about the sick sort of celebrity state one might acquire by brutally killing somebody.”

“I feel you.” Lindsay said quietly as the sun began to sink into the horizon. The radio continued to blast out hits from the latest month as you two fell into a comfortable silence as you drove slowly with the traffic heading up north. It wasn’t with a lot of people you felt comfortable being silent with. It felt strangely good that this was something you could do with Lindsay of all people. “It’s nice to be quiet once in a while.” Lindsay answered when you asked her if she felt comfortable with the silence.

“Not everybody knows that about me, being married to the loudest man on the planet or running with a gang that likes to joke around all the time. But every evening when Michael and I come home, when it’s just him and me, we like to just be us and not force anything. It’s nice to be quiet but not alone.”

You drove into the tunnel going underneath the military base and the orange lights flickered past you.

“Mm… It’s something that I like to do also. Sometimes when I can’t sleep or if something’s bothering me I like to actually climb onto my roof. It’s nice to just sit and think, not worrying about anything just listening to the waves and to the wind blowing in the trees. That’s one of many reasons I like the desert but still somehow I don’t feel like I’m home. It’s a bizarre feeling” You said to Lindsay as the tunnel ended and you started to approach Paleto Bay.

Lindsay grabbed your hand and gave it a squeeze. You looked at her hand covering yours and felt really touched. This woman who’s practically a stranger was so goddamn nice to you, so understanding and so much more than you originally thought she was.

“I felt that way a lot before I met Michael. Then one day my friend told me something that really stuck with me. He said, houses come and go but a home is where you make your life. You can sell your houses but a home is where people love you.”

“Sounds like a smart man.” you said with a laugh as you turned onto a small dirt road just outside of Paleto. You turned to Lindsay.

“There is a small apartment just behind these trees that is one of our safe houses. inside there is everything you might need to black out the station and if possible the force as well. I’m gonna drop you of here and come for you after I’m out of the station.”

"See ya on the other side then!" Lindsay said as she stepped out of the car and jogged over the small hill, disappearing into the wilderness. You threw the car in reverse and backed out of the dirt road, mentally preparing for the mission. You rolled your shoulders back as you heard and felt the first of undoubtedly many explosions shake the ground. 


	11. The Job in Paleto

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things get dangerous in Paleto

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again for the niceness! I love all of you, the readers, the commentators and all the kudoses. 
> 
> Warning for potential typos as always.
> 
> <3

You looked twice before you ran over the road in down town Paleto heading towards the police station with the crowd fleeing from the gunfire and rocket explosions rocketing the eastern part of the tiny town. The distressed screams and panic helped you to remain unknown and you played along with the crowd’s shrieks and frantic flailing. The explosions colored the buildings in warm light every few seconds only to be rivaled by the sterile white light that the helicopters shone down from the sky. The panic and terror was canceled out by the manic laughter that filled your ear piece. Between the laughter you could hear the directions the two teams shouted at each other to keep them out of harm’s way.

The crowd started to split by the exit to the highway and the beach and you could slip behind the fences to the station as the crowd blocked the cops’ sights. Alone in the dark alley you threw away the colored jumper you had on and searched for the fire escape that would lead you to the roof and to the only entrance that wasn’t monitored during times like these. The spinning blades of the chopper boomed above you as you quickly ducked behind the dumpster to avoid detection. The bright light shone the alley and illuminated the dirt and papers on the ground. The airflow from the chopper blew your hair all over the place. You could feel a massive explosion rock the earth before you could actually hear it. The frantic sirens from the cop cars made your ears ring as they whooshed by the station. After a few seconds that felt a lot longer the chopper pulled away and headed towards the warzone. You could faintly hear the all clear from Lindsay on the ear piece and rushed across the alley and made the jump to the fire escape. You pulled yourself up to the ladder and quickly started to climb to the roof while praying that no stray cop decided to check the alley.

As you hopped down onto the roof you saw a cop with binoculars check the streets on the opposite side of the roof. With a mental sigh and curse you ducked behind the air conditioning and sneaked behind him. You readied yourself to pounce and immobilize him.

“Chopper fifteen from Los Santos are you and your back-up on the way? Five minutes? I’ll forward that information. Over.” The cop didn’t even know what hit him before you had immobilized him with a swift hit on the head. You turned away from the falling body and as you jogged over to the roof door you opened up the communication line to the whole team.

“Choppers incoming from LS in five.” you said as you pushed open the door to the hallway leading down into the station and closer to your mission.

“Thanks babe.” The deep boom of Ryan’s voice startled you and made you trip over the last step of the stairs onto the landing of the second floor. You could feel your cheeks light up bright red and you were so happy you were alone. You steadied yourself on the wall as you heard all the groans and “get-a-rooms” that rung through the channel. You cleared your throat before you opened your mic again.

“Entering the second floor, radio silence from my part from now on out. See you on the other side.” You silenced the comms as you opened the door to the second floor hallway. The floor seemed silent and unoccupied but you could bet that there was some kind of protection still in front of the evidence lockup.

You heightened your senses as you sneaked by the first five doors as the seventh would be the door to the evidence lockup. Suddenly you felt the hairs on the back of your neck stand up and you reacted with the speed and lethality of a snake as you ducked and avoided the bullet fired from behind you. You spun around on the floor and kicked out and hit the cop in his knees making him fall on the ground. You grabbed the gun and without any hesitation pulled the trigger and killed the cop laying on the ground.

You turned around with the gun pointed in front of you as you made haste towards the evidence as there was no way that shot wasn’t heard in the station. You kicked open the locked door and killed the cop sitting behind the desk as he was reaching for his weapon. You stepped over the body lying on the floor and opened the metal door leading deeper into the room. You ran between the shelves with a clear destination on your mind.

Your silent footsteps were drowned by the frantic shouting from the radio on the dead cop. You stopped in front of the door leading into the department with gang violence evidence. You shot the lock and opened the door to the relatively small room with shelves on all four walls filled to the brim with evidence against every gang crime in the county. You walked across the room to the far wall and pulled the three boxes labeled with your gangs name on the floor and set it on fire. As you turned around you saw a few folders with the Fake AH crew logo and without thinking much about it you threw them as well on the fire.

You were greeted with gunfire as you exited the small room. You ducked behind the shelving unit on your right and fired a few rounds towards the door. You ducked behind the shelves again as the cops fired back. You took a few deep breaths as you calmed yourself enough to pull this off. You glanced above a box of evidence and counted only two cops behind the desk by the door. Two weren’t a problem, a few more would have actually slowed you down dramatically. You lifted yourself from the floor, aimed and shot the two cops with a bullet each. You scrambled from behind the shelves and rushed towards the doors while turning the mic on again.

“Lindsay! I’m taking fire here, and I don’t think I’ll make it to the ground floor. Fuck!” you shouted as you dove into a doorway away from the gunfire coming from the doorway to the stairs. “Scrap that, I don’t think the stairs are an option if we want to get out of here quickly. You got an opening somewhere?” You aimed your gun and fired and hit a few guys but it seemed like there was way more firepower still in the station than you had originally thought. It was only a matter of time when they advanced with brute strength.

“Hang in there, I’m checking the police radio!” Lindsay answered as you ducked behind the doorway again.

“Anytime now would be great!” you shouted as you checked the room behind you for a way out. “Lindsay how far do you think the dumpster is from the second floor window?”

“Oh hell no!” You could hear over your earpiece from a few different crew members. The gunfire stopped for a moment and you peeked around the doorway to see some heavy duty weaponry being passed around. A stray bullet whistled past your head and you quickly retreated into the room.

“No other choice! I’m blocked in. How quickly can you get a driver into the alley?” You puffed as you shoved a filing cabinet against the door. You backed away from the door and opened the window and looked outside. “The alleys clear, looks like a clean jump.”

“Already on my way.” Ryan’s voice filled the channel as you could hear the heavy footsteps in the hallway and the shouting from the cops. “One block away.”

“I’m gonna jump. Wish me luck guys.”

With determination and adrenaline filling your veins you hopped onto the windowsill and grabbed the sides tightly. It was a long jump, you thought to yourself as you blocked out the noise from the hallway and the noise filling your ears. You took a deep breath and launched yourself off the windowsill and leaped forward towards the dumpster just as you heard a crack from the door. Time stood still as you flew across the air your hands flailing, your body desperately trying to correct itself. Remember to land safely you thought to yourself as the dumpster neared. You turned your head just in time to see a blue car turn into the alley with a screech before your feet hit the cardboard boxes on the top. Then the impact hit you with full force as your knees gave out when your feet hit the bottom of the dumpster.

“Fuck me!” you exclaimed as you rolled over in the dumpster. You thrust your hands outwards and found a wall to help you stand. You could feel that you had broken something as your feet wouldn’t hold up your weight anymore.

“Perhaps later” You heard Ryan chuckle outside the dumpster. “You alright?”

“As fine as one would be after that drop.” Your answer was drowned by loud gunfire as Ryan shot cops who were looking outside from the second floor.

“Can you get up?” He asked as he reloaded. You grabbed the side of the dumpster and dragged yourself to the edge as Ryan was covering for you. Your body was shaking as the pain was starting to override the adrenaline but you pulled yourself with your upper body up and over the dumpster, landing on the ground in the alley with a heavy thud. You looked at your feet and realized that you must have broken both shins on impact. This was going to suck.

“Can you move?” Ryans voice was more panicked now as he glanced at you between shots. “Please say that you can move?”

“Yeah. Cover me and I’ll get into the car!” your voice sounded as strained as you felt and you could see your vision about to go black. You regained some energy and with the last bit of adrenaline you pulled yourself to the car and into the backseat. You slumped against the car door as you heard Ryan fire a few last rounds into the windows before jumping into the car. You felt the door slamming on every bit of you and winced from the pain radiating from your legs.

“Well fuck this.” you said with gritted teeth as he drove out of the alley and into incoming traffic. He avoided a head on collision with mere inches before returning to the right side of the road again.

“I’m going to get you back to your base.” Ryan’s voice was faint from the front of the car as your eyelids were becoming very heavy.

“No! Follow the plan and the protocol. Be sure we aren’t followed first.” you strained your voice to make yourself heard. “I’m fine.”

“Don’t lie to me.” the hardness of his voice surprised you slightly as he glanced into the rear view mirror. “How bad is it?”

“I broke my shins. I’ll live. Follow the protocol.” You spat out and looked him in the eyes via the mirror. His brows were burrowed, his concern vivid in his face. You couldn’t recall him taking off his mask though. You had lied to him, you could feel a rib poking your insides with the tight left turns but you chose to be silent about that. He needed to follow the protocol.

“Fine. But don’t think for a moment that I can’t see that you’re lying to me. It’s worse isn’t it?”

“Just drive carefully.” You answered him as you felt that you could finally let go to the pain. Within seconds you were unconscious.


	12. Overwhelmed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Breathing is hard.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the lack of new chapters, I'm just feeling a bit under and overwhelmed so don't get your hopes up on frequent updating this summer. I'm super sorry about that. 
> 
> But here's the new one! As always I'm super happy and thankful for every comment and kudos and thought. If I could hug you all I would <3

You walked around in the sunshine in the meadow where the wind made waves in the tall grass. Confused you looked down at your hands that were surprisingly small. The confusion only got worse when you could see your brother running towards you but he wasn’t 25 but 4 years old. His tiny legs trampled the grass as he continued to run towards you, as you took a step backwards baffled by the situation. You were just in a gunfight and leaped of a building. Ryan was there. Ryan… Was everybody okay? Why are we here in the meadow? Looking around you saw the looming Chilliad but you couldn’t place yourself anywhere on the map you knew. Your brother was getting closer to you now; you could see his mossy green eyes pierce through you as you took another step backwards. Something wasn’t alright; you could feel the hair on the back of your neck rise as the weather got colder. 

The sky was filled with snowflakes as you turned around and were greeted with Molly, a girl you had played with when you still lived in LS when you were a child. Her blonde hair blew in the wind, her pale skin blended with the whiteness of her dress. A huge cut was prominent on her face, cutting it basically in two. The blood running on her face was bright and fresh, the snowflakes melting into the liquid. Your scream didn’t leave your throat. 

Turning around you couldn’t find your brother anywhere. Instead you were greeted with a crowd of people all burning alive. The mass was illuminated in the snow, the flames licking the sky and everything beyond that. The eyes burned with hatred and accusing fingers were pointed at you. The people were wearing clothes but their bare feet were melted into the ground. Your heart sank in terror when you remembered the fire you had started because you thought your torturer lived in the house but you had wrong intel. Blinded by fear and anger you had killed these innocent people. The silence was cut short as the people started screaming blinding you with anguish and regret as your feet collapsed from underneath you.

Grasping the grass you started running away from the screams but they followed you as they did frequently in your dreams. The air was filled with smoke and you couldn’t breathe. Gasping you stopped just before a shape in front of you. The cop you shot at the station in Paleto lifted his gun at you as the blood from his gunshot wound leaked from the exit wound on his forehead. You could see though it as you embraced death, anything else than the constant screams that haunted the meadow. The cold muzzle of the gun was resting against your forehead but as you blinked the scene changed.

Your mother was now standing in front of you holding the gun at you. The surprise knocked the air out of your body and before you could get a word out she shot you blank in the face. The knockback knocked you over and as you fell towards the ground you could hear her scream at you, blaming everything on you. Her hatred for you kicked you in the stomach, the ground continued to evade your back as you continued to fall surrounded by the screaming of anger and pain. You couldn’t be sure that it wasn’t you who were screaming. 

With a huge force you landed back in the meadow. As you stood up the air was painfully still and quiet and you could hear your heartbeat beeping irregularly. The mechanic beeping grew louder suffocating you and forcing you on your knees. You grabbed your head and screamed but the sound was muffled. The anguish didn’t leave your body, only amplified itself as you could feel the pain rolling over you. 

Suddenly it was completely silent, the beeping stopping. You released your head and looked at your hands. They were covered in blood but you knew it wasn’t yours. A giggle broke the silence. You knew the giggle and with no hesitation you sprung up from the ground. 

You were in the middle of a street in Sandy shores. You spun around and instantaneously realized that you were in the middle of the road outside your childhood home. You staggered a few steps closer to the red little house you lived and lied in and followed the sound of a child laughing. In the small fenced off area in front of the worn down house was a young boy running around giggling as the sun scorched the last bits of grass in the yard. His knees were bruised from when he fell off the tree branch earlier that week. Your hands grasped the metal fence as you watched the child laugh and play. He didn’t seem to notice you at all. 

Your gaze shifted with the wind and your eyes locked with the little girls eyes. She stood by the doorway into the house, the torn blue dress you loved moving with the wind as she continued to look at you. Her mousy brown hair was in a ponytail and her brown eyes were soul piercing but they were empty. As you looked at her blood started to stream from her eyes and she started to smirk at you. Slowly she moved her hand from behind her to show you the glimmering metal of the blade she had in her grasp. Her eyes never left yours as she threw the knife and effortlessly hit the young boy in the chest. You couldn’t move as you watched the boy sink to the ground. The blood was brighter than anything you had ever seen and there was so much of it. 

The girl’s wicked laughter filled the air as you felt the warm blood reach your feet. The accusing gaze the boy gave you chilled you to the core and the warmth of the liquid surrounding and rising around you couldn’t give any warmth to you. The laughter intensified as you sunk deeper and deeper into despair the boy’s eyes still locked with you, accusing you and blaming you. 

You opened your eyes as the blood rose above your head. The redness colored the surroundings creating a weird illuminating effect on it. You floated in the liquid silently absorbing the pressure and thickness. You could see the world underneath you as you floated; the crowds continued to laugh and point as your lungs ached for a breath of fresh air.

Suddenly you were yanked up from the liquid by cold hands and you gasped for a breath, blinded by the sunlight. You opened your eyes only to meet the gaze of Ryan’s piercing eyes that were locked with yours. You looked at him, glad to see him. He smiled at you and you smiled back. Everything was silent and at peace until you felt his fingers grasp your neck and start to squeeze, you started to claw his hands trying to breathe but his strength was too much. You could see him saying something but couldn’t hear anything. His mouth was moving constantly but your focus were on the hands around your neck squeezing and squeezing tighter cutting your air. You gasped for air and reached out to hit his face as your hands couldn’t move his. You could hear his voice in the distance as you could feel the air running out. 

“Breathe!” 

His eyes were locked with yours, the sounds connecting with the mouth movement. Breathe? How can I do that when you’re suffocating me…? As soon as you thought of that you couldn’t feel the hands anymore, the pressure lifting and you gasped for air. Your lungs filled with glorious but painful air, expanding painfully your chest. 

Ryan was still there in your eyesight but the backgrounds got clearer and you realized that you were in the infirmary underneath your home. The beeping from beside you was frantic as you tried to understand it all. It must have all been a dream, you thought as you lifted your heavy arm to push away a stray piece of hair that bothered you. 

“Thank god!” You heard Ryan exhale and sink back into a chair beside your bed. 

“Water” you exhaled and watched him leap out of the chair and bring you a cup of water with a straw. He helped you with the drinking, stopping you when you got too greedy with it. He watched you carefully as you drank and you returned the favor as he walked away with the cup.

“What happened?” You croaked at him. He turned around from the sink and walked back to sit beside you. He ran his hands through his hair and you saw that he was exhausted. You wondered how long had he been here, followed by the question of how long had you been here.

“Well. What’s the last thing you remember?” he asked as he leaned back in the chair looking intensely at you. You searched your mind of any memory of anything happening after you got into the car in the alley.

“I remember burning the evidence, then getting cornered and jumping out of a window into a dumpster and then getting into your car.”

“Well after you passed out in my backseat I got you here as quickly as I could, trusting that you told me the truth. When I got here I learned that you didn’t tell me the truth at all. Aside from the broken shins that I knew about you had punctured arteries in your legs from the bone shards as well as hit your ribs on the dumpster puncturing a lung and your liver. So Adam fixed you up even when it was touch-and-go too many fucking times.”

You let that sink in for a few moments. You knew about the lung and ribs and the shins but the injuries were far worse than you had thought. “How long have I been here?” you asked. He rubbed his eyes before answering.

“A week. Unconscious the whole time, thank you very much.”

“How long have you been here?” you asked and looked him straight in the eyes, looking for the truth.

“A week.”


	13. A pain in the ass

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some late night texting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the kind words and kudos and thoughts! I wrote this quicker than I thought I would, so here's a little treat. 
> 
> Also during the texting part I didn't label the senders, but I'm sure you'll know who's sending the text. It always rotates, so there isn't two texts from the same character in a row. 
> 
> Enjoy :)

The days were long in the infirmary. You were always good at being still but not this still. The casts on your legs confined you every breath you took and the breathing itself hurt as well. It wasn’t the first time you’d broken your ribs, there were multiple times you took a pounding or were in a car crash or were captured. But this time you couldn’t help but to fidget as you laid on your back in the basement of your house. The fidgeting was due to a feeling you couldn’t shake. There were something wrong but you couldn’t put your finger on what it was, there was just something off about something and it kept you up at night as you tried to put your finger on what it was. You hadn’t told anybody about this feeling, not entirely trusting your instinct. There had been times you had been totally wrong and that had led to the death of tens of innocents.

You sighed and looked to your side. The chair beside your bed was empty as it was the middle of the night. The illuminated red numbers on the wall told you it was a quarter to three in the morning and it looked like this would be your second night of insomnia. You lifted your hand and rubbed your cheek as you tried to get comfortable in the bed. You had spent a ton of money on the beds and they were still so fucking uncomfortable. Fuck this and fuck everything, you thought as you lifted yourself up on your elbows.

Ryan had been here last evening and you had talked for a few hours before he had to leave due to the fact that his mission started the following morning. So in a few hours, you mused as you slumped back against the pillows. There was something special about him. He made you feel like home even though you were here and injured. And man don’t even start on his laugh. It was throaty and bubbling in a way and always started slow but increased in volume soon after. He would also throw his body back and his eyes would fill with tears if you really made him laugh. You smiled widely into the dark room as you thought about the echoing laughter that filled this room when he visited.

It had been a few days since you woke up. Twelve to be exact you thought as you adjusted your hair from beneath you to be on your shoulder. Ryan had been here every day since that, only leaving to go do his job with his crew and to sleep. Adam had told you that it would take a few weeks for you to be on your feet again as the fractures weren’t that severe, and that the greater problem was with the punctured lung.He had then continued to scold you about how reckless you had been and that Ryan had brought you in just in time to avoid more serious damage. As if you didn’t know that, you thought, you had been hurt so much already that you knew when it was serious.

The girls were angry with you, mostly because they were scared. It didn’t take long to cheer them up though, and for that you were grateful. They had never been much for being angry with you and you couldn’t be angry at them either for very long. You three had gone through so much together that it would take a lot more to split you up. Not that there hadn’t been disagreements before, with three women living in the same space and with a high stress work environment it didn’t take much to make it spark.

You had been happy to hear that the mission was a success. Both of the crews were intact and there hadn’t been any civilian casualties. The cops had managed to get some information from the crew member that they had captured, but Blue had assured you that the threat was taken care of. According to her the cops had information about a future planned heist that now had to be scrapped and about a save house in Chumash but that was taken care of as well, assured Elliot. You trusted them so you didn’t bother with worrying about it too much.

The feeling of uneasiness filled you again and you sighed loudly and threw your hand over your eyes. Fuck insomnia. You peeked at the clock on the wall from underneath your arm and sighed even louder as you saw it was only ten to three. If only there was a turn off button to that loud annoying voice in your head so you could just sleep for a few hours and pretend that everything was just fine.

A shower would be fan-fucking-tastic now you thought as you threw the blanket away as it got too hot. You looked at your legs, both covered in black casts up to your thighs. The immobility was awful, you longed for the day Adam decided to upgrade you from casts to lighter support. You doubted you were permitted to leave the bed even after that, it was a long way to walking. You felt a sudden rush of sadness over that and a bit of regret of jumping out of that window. Well, no use in dwelling on the past you thought.

Five to three. You swore underneath your breath and gave in to the temptation and reached for your phone. The screen illuminated the room and you quickly lowered the brightness. The screen still being to bright you leaned over and turned on the bedside lamp. The warm yellow light illuminated the room and you hoped you didn’t bother the three crew members sleeping in the room right next to the infirmary. Luna, Burton and Ellis were all sleeping here because they finished the late night shift of watch duty and on-call and they deserved their rest. Sighing you turned the light off just in case you bothered them.

Squinting for a while you adjusted to the brightness off the screen. You mindlessly scrolled through Twitter almost not finding anything interesting there. Apparently Michael had seen the new Avengers with Gavin and Lindsay. You smiled at the happy selfie they had taken outside the theatre. Michael and Lindsay had visited you soon after you woke up, and they brought some Chinese with them. You had all sat down and eaten the food and chatted until they too had to leave to “make someone else miserable” as Michael had put it. 

You switched to Instagram where you saw the exact same picture and liked it. There were a ton of pictures of landscapes and food but the picture that you liked the most was Ryan’s newest addition. He had taken a beautifully lighted picture of a huge explosion and you smiled in the dark. His Instagram was filled with pictures of the crew and explosions. Your kind of guy you laughed to yourself as you pressed the heart icon underneath the new picture.

“Boss?” a groggy voice was heard from the doorway. Luna stood tall in the opening wearing only his boxers, but that wasn’t anything unusual in this house. Crew members felt like home here and you were overjoyed about that fact. His face was still sleepy but you could see the worry in his eyes and heard it from his voice.

“Nothing’s wrong. Go back to bed Luna.” You answered him with a smile. Sometimes you wondered how you were permitted to be this lucky, to have friends this caring. The man looked at you more closely, the shadows enhancing the shadow of a beard on his face.

“You sure?” the man replied a few seconds later. “You need anything? Food, water, painkillers?”

“I’m sure and no thank you. I’m fine just not tired, but I can see that you are super tired. Please go back to bed, I’ll manage.” You answered him and with a short nod he wished you a good night and walked back to his bunk.

You turned your attention back to your phone and saw that Ryan had sent you a message. You unlocked your phone and opened the message.

_Awake? – sent 3.09AM_

_Yeah. Can’t seem to fall asleep. Shouldn’t you be asleep? – sent 3.10AM _

You watched the dots dance on your screen as you watched the light turn off from the neighboring room.

_Nah. I’m supposed to pick up Ray in an hour. Saw that you liked my new pic. –sent 3.10AM_

_Yeah, I loved the lighting. Also the explosion was sweet as well. Say hey to the crew for me :) - sent 3.11AM _

You started to regret that you didn’t ask Miles to get you something fresh to drink as the dry air in the infirmary tickled your throat. You picked up the stale water from the bedside table and gulped down some of it. The dots danced on your screen.

_Will do. You should see the sunrise here in LS, man it’s almost as beautiful as you are. – sent 3.13AM_

You chuckled lightly in the dark and refused to acknowledge the sudden heat on your cheeks.

_I bet you say that to all the girls. – sent 3.13AM _

_Only the one that matters. –sent 3.14AM _

_Shut up nerd. Besides shouldn’t you be focusing on whatever mission you have today instead of sending cheesy compliments to me? – sent 3.17AM _

You couldn’t stop smiling at the phone. You probably looked terrible right now, dirty and messed up hair and hospital clothes paired with the sickish glow from the phone and yet his words made you smile.

_Routine mission, nothing to prepare for. I can’t help that I’m distracted by you. – sent 3.19AM _

_That happen often? –sent 3.20AM _

_Too often. How about you, thinking about somebody? – sent 3.22AM _

_Well there is this boy… - sent 3.22AM _

_Huh, tell me about this boy of yours. –se_ _nt_ _3.23AM_

_Well he’s got this amazing laughter that I think about way too often. And man, don’t even get me started about his arms. – sent 3.23AM _

_He sounds interesting. Kinda like this girl I know who doesn’t laugh often but when she does it’s like fireworks. She laughs like that’s the last time she’s going to laugh. And man, don’t even get me started about her eyes… I could just look into them for days on end. - sent 3.24AM _

_You sound like you like that girl. – sent 3.25AM_

_I might. She’s a bit crazy though from what I hear, and that makes me nervous. – sent 3.25AM _

_What a coincident. The boy I think about is crazy as well, I mean he tortures people for a living! How could a girl like me survive that? – Sent 3.26AM _

_I’m sure you can handle yourself. I’d say that you would be a perfect fit with that boy of yours. – sent 3.26AM _

_You think so? I mean that girl of yours seems like a swell person as well… -sent 3.27AM_

_I do. And she’s awesome. – sent 3.27AM _

_Dear god how mushy are we? But I miss you. Coming over after the mission? – Sent 3.28AM _

_I know, it makes me slightly sick but I love it! And I’m trying to come as soon as I can, but you know how most of our missions go… - sent 3.30AM_

_Be safe. I wanna a rematch in Halo later today and I would hate to see you lose because you’re in a million tiny pieces. – sent 3.31AM _

_That wouldn’t hinder me, I just so good babe. And you too be safe, you might die of boredom before I arrive. – sent 3.32AM_

_That might actually happen. I’m afraid I might have to amputate my ass after this ordeal, it so far asleep that it might be fatal. – sent 3.33AM _

_What a tragedy! We must prevent it, no matter the cost! – sent 3.33AM _

_Fucking dork. Now get back to your work, I’m sure Ray’s waiting for you already. – sent 3.34AM _

_Yes, ma’am! See you tonight – Sent 3.35AM_


	14. Cinnamon rolls

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey friends! First of all thanks for the kudos and comments. I've been meaning to get to replying those who comments, but you know how life gets in the way.
> 
> Anyways my muse hit me with a sledgehammer and soon I realized that I'd written 4500 words. So two chapters incoming, this one today and the other later tonight or tomorrow. Happy reading!

”Just take it easy for a while.” Adam told you as you carefully lowered yourself from the bed in the infirmary. He had just changed your casts for lighter boots that allowed you to move carefully around the house. You had grown sick of the infirmary and longed for fresh air and a chance to move around.

Driving was still out of question since you had some problems with feeling in your legs after weeks in casts. You steadied yourself on the bed and took a few tentative steps under Adams watchful gaze. You could feel that you had lost significant amount of muscle from your legs as your legs shook underneath you. Your spine adjusted to the elevated position and you rolled your shoulders back with a sigh.

“I’m gonna try to take it easy but you know how restless I get when I’m still for too long.” you answered Adam as you reached for the crutches that he had laid by the bed. You shifted most part of your weight of your legs and onto your upper body. You didn’t want to admit it to Adam but you felt tired already. It was still a long fucking time until you could run or hop around.

Adam sighed and stood up from the neighbouring bed. He tossed your medical file on the bed as he moved around the beds and walked to the medicine cabinet. He moved around a few bottles until he found what he was looking for. He closed the cabinet and turned to you with a medium sized bottle with white pills.

“Take this. Your body is going to hurt this evening for sure. It’s going to take a few days for it to adjust to standing and walking with the crutches. Oh and before I forget, I’m allowing you to take the boots of during the night. Your legs are healed enough for that and I think you’ll need a good night’s rest. And be sure to come to me immediately if your legs feel weird or you are in pain.”

You took the bottle from him with a grateful smile and stuffed it into your hoodies pocket. You shuffled over to the infirmary door as Adam walked behind you.

“You can rest more weight on your legs as you feel more comfortable. The lighter cast will support the leg just as well as the heavier one, so trust it. But don’t push yourself as I can’t be here all the time to watch you. And ask for help when you need it.”

“Yes mom.” You laughed. Adam glared at you slightly before chuckling.

“I know you’re worried but I’m fine. Thanks to you actually.”

“Don’t mention it. Just be careful.”

“I am always careful. Well most of the time.” You laughed and shuffled over to the common room beyond the infirmary. Adam muttered something about you being a moron before he turned around to continue with his job. You watched the glass door close as you gritted your teeth and hopped over to the outer door in the basement wall on the lake side. You thought that the slope outside would be better to walk on instead of the steep stairs.

You pushed the door open and the fresh air hit you like a ton of bricks. The warmth on your skin felt heavenly and the breeze from the lake was pulling your hair gently. You took a few steps out of the doorway before the door alarm would activate on behalf of an open door. You looked down on the patch of sand between the house and the lake and wished you could sink your toes into the warmth of the sand. With a sigh you started to shuffle over to the front door.

There weren’t many crew members on the lot today as it was the second day of the month and it entailed the cleaning day in the safe houses plus a large part of the on call crew was dealing with a slight conflict in Chumash. Some idiot tried to take over a part of the seaside community but your crew reacted before he even set his foot on the sandy beach.

You were halfway to the front door as the car pulled into the yard from the street. You recognized the car but it wasn’t one of yours. The licence plate told you that it was one of the Fake AH crew and the make and model told you that it was Michael’s car. The air was filled with a heavy bass coming from the car as it screeched to a halt in the middle of the yard.

The doors opened and you saw Michael’s unruly hair poke out as he exited the vehicle. His leather jacket was thrown over his shoulder as the heat was too much to be wearing it. The red t-shirt was taut over his muscles as he had started to go to the gym with Miles.

“Well well well, what do we have here!” he boomed as he slammed the door close with a huge smile. He walked over to you as you smiled at him and continued your journey towards the front door.

“Good to see you. It’s been too long.” You answered him as he walked with you towards the door. He laughed and stretched his back while walking.

“Indeed it has. You’re back on your legs I see. You look like you’re taking your first steps.”

“I kinda am.” you answered with a laugh and he joined you. “What brings you to these parts of Los Santos?”

“What can’t a guy visit a friend without questions?” he quipped back at you fast as lightning but with a smile on his face. You reached the steps to the porch and he helped you up the three steps. “But in all seriousness Geoff sent me to see how you were doing. He’s going to be happy that you’re on your legs. We all feel guilty over that night in Paleto Bay as you could have escaped if you didn’t stop to make sure that the fire burned our evidence as well.”

“It’s really nothing to mention like I’ve already said like a thousand times. We’re friends… what’s that thing Ray always says?”

“Waffleo.” Michael laughed and shook his head. “I can’t believe that he didn’t know that each other is two words. What a fucking idiot.”

Michael held the door open as you hopped inside the house and were greeted with the delicious smell of freshly baked cinnamon rolls coming from the kitchen.

“Oh man what’s that smell?” Michael asked as he waited for you at the opening into the kitchen.“Man why can’t our base smell like baked goods too?”

You laughed at the poutiness in his voice and clear on his face as you shuffled past him into the kitchen and found the basket filled with still slightly warm rolls. Michael made himself at home by the table, kicking off his shoes and throwing his feet on the chair beside him. He gulped down one roll before you even got the chance to read the note beside the basket.

“You got Elliot to thank, she baked these this morning before she left for the rounds. And for god sake slow down before you choke on the rolls. God don’t they feed you back home?” you laughed as you plopped down on a chair opposite Michael. You leaned the crutches on the table and sighed as you rested your legs.

Adam had been right about being sore all over, you wanted nothing more than to go lie down somewhere but it was still early and you needed to go over everything that you missed while you were downstairs. You reached into your pocket and took a pill to alleviate some of the discomfort. You reached for a cinnamon roll as Michael finished his second already.

“Nah, man these are good.” He told you as he leaned back in his chair and studied you closely. “You doing okay?”

“I’m fine.” You answered out of habit but felt the need to explain yourself more as Michael scoffed at you. “I mean that I’m alive and kicking. Out of the infirmary, so I can’t complain.”

“There’s no shame in resting for longer you know that right?” Michael told you in a slightly softer voice. “Everything’s under control here and in the city. It’s actually been super quiet for a while.”

“I’ve been on the side line for too long already and I think that you know that as well. I can’t lead a crew from the infirmary, I need to get out again even though it might take a while before I’m fully operational.”

“From what I’ve been able to gather from Miles, your crew seems to be handling this rather well. I mean I’ve seen crews crumble when their leader is killed or injured. It signals that your crew is well built and that it’s resting on solid ground. So you really don’t have to push yourself too much, I get that you want to get back in the middle of this mess but I just wish that you listen to your friends and most importantly to yourself if you start to feel tired. You’re alive but it might not be the case if you push too hard.”

You remained silent and looked out the window. The lake was calm and there was no boats to be seen. You pondered over Michael’s words as you saw from the corner of your eyes that he continued to eat his cinnamon roll. You knew everything he had told you already but you couldn’t help but to feel like something wasn’t alright. The feeling had stayed with you since you landed in the infirmary and it made you feel uneasy. You needed to check in with Lawrence to see if his little birds had any news to report back to you. There was something up and you just didn’t know what it was.


	15. Dove

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes a warm hug is all you need.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the other chapter I promised. Some fluffy fluffiness for you all.

Michael left about an hour later with the promises of visiting again soon and that time with Lindsay and Gavin. You had smiled politely and waved him goodbye as he left the house. You remained silent and seated in the dining room not having enough energy to walk somewhere else. You rubbed your thighs absentmindedly as you heard him speed out of the lot. It was too early for your crew to start trickling back, and Elliot was away at least for the day. It was only you and the three crew members in the room next door.

You sighed as you pulled out your phone and texted a short message to Lawrence. He texted back quickly and reported that it was quiet out in the streets and that he too had the feeling that something was seriously wrong. This didn’t make you feel any better and you rubbed your face roughly as you put the phone down on the table.

After a moment or two you checked the time again and decided that it was way too late to hold a crew meeting. You typed in a short email to the crew explaining that the first thing tomorrow you would hold a small meeting where the crew was to get you caught up on the current events in the county and in the crew itself. You pocketed the phone and started the long journey up to your room.

You stopped at the bottom of the stairs to the second floor and cursed in your head that you had decided to buy a house with multiple floors. You knew that if you just said the word Taylor from the on call group would carry you up the stairs but your pride denied that. You huffed and groaned as you made the descend, stopping regularly to catch your breath. Fuck this and fuck these boots and fuck that jump out of the window.

As you finally cleared the stairs your legs shook worse than they had ever shaken. You rested for a moment before shuffling into your room closing the door behind you. You plopped down on the armchair by the window and lifted your legs on the ottoman.

You could feel the early stages of hunger start to creep in so you called Miles. You knew that he would be returning soon to the house because it was Tuesday and every Tuesday your crew had a game night in the basement and you knew that because it was Halo today, Miles would not be seen anywhere else than in the basement in that one armchair he had claimed as his own.

“Yo.” came the gruff response as he picked up the phone.

“Yo yourself. Swinging back home soon?” you asked as you popped another pill into your mouth to stop the pain in its beginnings. You could hear that he was in his car as you heard a powerful engine and loud ass rap music blasting from the radio.

“Soon. I’m picking up Kerry, you know the tiny one from Fake AH? Turns out that he’s awesome at Halo and an awesome dude in general. You want me to do something boss?”

You heard the excitement in his voice, not that it was that unusual as Miles was one of the most excitable persons you knew. He seemed like there wasn’t any worries in the world when he was driving and the prospect of the game night had him very excited.

“Yeah, if you drive back through the Shore could you pick up a pizza or something? No hurry though, I’m not that hungry.” You answered as you were startled by the quick gust of wind that ripped on the curtains in front of the open balcony door.  

“No problems, I was anyway picking up some pizzas for the game night. You want your usual?” he answered quickly.

“Yeah. Drive safe.”

“Always.” he laughed as he hung up. You threw the phone on the ottoman between the boots resting on it. You reached out and turned on the small reading lamp behind you as it became quickly darker outside. Must be a storm on the way, you thought as you threw a blanket over your legs as the breeze from the balcony door was increasingly cold. You picked up a book from the side table and flicked to the part where you had last stopped.

The unmistakable sound of rain accompanied your reading. The air from the open door smelled wonderful, fresh because of the rain and the coldness felt lovely on your skin. You had always loved the rain, as long as you were inside. There wasn’t anything better than reading a good book with a good drink when the rain pounded on the roof and the windows. Even better if it was thundering.

It became soon a bit too cold on your exposed arms and you reached out for the cardigan you had at the end of the bed just outside your reach. You put the book down on the armrest on the window side and leaned heavily out over the armrest of the chair. You tired legs protested this move and a dull pain radiated up them but you were so close already. Your fingers grasped one of the arms of the cardigan and with a triumphant laugh you tugged the cardigan into your lap. As you threaded your arms into the cardigan you bumped your book down and you saw that you had lost the page you were on.

“Fuck me!” you sighed as you threw your head back into the backrest exhausted by the whole day. This was just the icing on the cake.  

“Whoa, at least let me buy dinner first.” You heard a deep amused voice boom from the doorway. You turned around and saw a dripping wet Ryan stand in the doorway with two pizzas in his hand and two drinks in the other. The smell reached you and your stomach growled. You hadn’t realized that you were that hungry.

“We’ll see.” You smiled back at him as he walked over to you. You took the pizzas into your lap as he dragged a chair from the upper hall into your room. You peeked into the upper pizza box and saw that it was his.  The smell was intoxicating.

“So you’re back on your feet.” Ryan smiled as he took his jacket off and hung it to dry on the bathroom door. He walked into the bathroom to dry himself.

“Kinda. We’ll I’m still stuck with boots but at least I’m out of the infirmary.” You answered as you reached out and took one of the bottles from Ryan’s chair and sat it down on the side table. You reminded yourself to pick up the book from the floor later.

Ryan emerged from the bathroom with tussled hair as he had attempted to dry it off. You were mesmerized by the waves and the slightly darker shade of his hair. There was a loose strand of hair resting on his forehead but he quickly pushed it back up with the rest of them. He sat down on the chair and you gave him his pizza.

“So where did you get the pizza?” you asked as you both opened your boxes and settled into the chairs. You had your usual pizza and you could see that he had one of his; with pepperoni, peppers and onions. You took a bite of your pizza and closed your eyes as the warm delicious pizza tasted like heaven in your mouth.

“I drove behind Miles into the lot and saw that he had some trouble with the pizzas. I mean the guy had like twenty pizzas in his backseat. He told me that he had a pizza for you and that I could take one as well, but he couldn’t find yours very quickly so we both were drenched in the yard.” he told you between bites. You laughed at the thought of these two huge guys standing around a car filled with pizza trying to find the correct ones.

“You didn’t think of taking the pizzas inside first and _then_ trying to find the right ones?” you laughed and watched Ryan realize the same thing as he stopped mid bite. You laughed even louder. “Oh my god, and they say you are the scariest dude in the state.”

Ryan laughed as well and you returned to the eating while talking about your days. You learned that Ryan had helped Gavin with his computer and that the heist they were planning was delayed as Jack was sick. Ryan listed to your day as well, even though it wasn’t that interesting. He told that Michael had stopped by Gavin’s earlier and told him that he was going to visit you. You told him what Michael had said to you and the warnings he had said.

“And I didn’t answer him anything because… I mean this is going to sound super strange but bear with me. I just got this feeling like…”

“Like something’s wrong.” Ryan finished the sentence and you both looked at each other, the pizzas already eaten. Both of you were holding your bottles.

“Yeah. I’ve had this feeling a while now and I can’t shake it. There’s something going on that we don’t know and I don’t feel very secure by it. I mean I got no intel of the streets.”

“It’s too quiet. No turf wars, way less robberies and heists. It’s like the streets are empty even though I know they aren’t. It’s unsettling.”

Ryan rubbed his chin, the five o’clock shadow being highlighted in the lighting. The sky outside was dark and it was way later than you had anticipated it to be. The air around you both was comfortable but the uneasiness that you shared made the air heavy. This wasn’t the news you had wanted but it was the news you had expected. If you felt that something was wrong there was no way that Ryan didn’t feel that as well. You just hoped that it wasn’t something horrible that was brewing in the shadows but you could feel the nagging in your mind that told you that it probably was just that.

You yawned and checked the time. It was 10.30pm but your body was beyond tired. The worrying and the physical exhaustion had taken its toll already. Ryan glanced over at you as you yawned and checked the time as well.

“It’s getting late. And you look like shit, no offence.” he told as he stood up and stretched his back before collecting the empty boxes and bottles. You watched him work as you felt the worry set deep into your stomach making you nauseous. The worry over the unknown mixed with the feeling like something bad was about to happen.

“Ryan…” you said as he reached for his half dry jacket. He turned his head and you saw that he saw the worry deep inside you. His eyes softened and he dropped his hand from the jacket.

“Do you want me to stay?” he asked as he stood by the bathroom door and you hated the fact that you didn’t have the energy to stand. You wanted to be close to him, to wrap your hands around him and take in his unique scent. You nodded your head, not trusting your voice to hold. He looked at you for a second before nodding and sitting down beside you. He took your hand into his large one and the warmth of his hand radiated up yours. You hadn’t realized how cold you were.

“Okay.” he said and for a moment you just sat there. But before long you yawned again bringing you back to the moment. Ryan looked at you with a warmness that you hadn’t seen before as he smiled at you yawning.

“Do you need help to get to the bathroom?” he asked as he stood up and pushed the chair out of the way and closed the balcony door. You threw the blanket away from your feet and lowered them onto the floor. As you waited for them to regain some blood flow you folded the blanket on the ottoman.

“I don’t know. I might, I’ve been sitting for a while.” you answered Ryan as you put the blanket down. He just nodded at you and waited with you as you regained some feeling in your legs. After a minute you pushed of the chair and put your weight on your feet. You wobbled a bit but Ryan was there immediately to provide support. You leaned on him as you walked into the bathroom. He lowered the lid on the toilet and helped you sit down on it. He gave you your toothbrush with a smile before leaving you alone telling you that he was going to hunt down an unused toothbrush.

The silence left after he was gone was filled with the sounds of brushing mixed with the rain pounding on the roof above you.

It took a lot longer than usual to get yourself ready for bed. Ryan had been invaluable in helping you move from place to place and also as much needed company. He could feel that you felt uneasy about the situation on the streets and he kept telling you stories about him and the rest of his crew as you got ready for bed. You had laughed harder this night than you had for a long time.

Soon you both had done the usual bedtime routines and you sat down on the side of your bed wearing a top and an old pair of boxers you had bought yourself just for nights. You reached down to unclasp the right boot and as you finally got it off you couldn’t help but to voice your comfort.

“Feels good right?” Ryan laughed from behind you. “I’ve had one of those before and dear god it feels good to get it off.”

You laughed and moved to unclasp the other one. Your legs were filled with marks from the boots as well as freshly healed scars from the operation. You rubbed the skin carefully with lotion so that it would get the most out of this free time. Tomorrow morning it was back into the boots.

You felt Ryan sit down on the other side of the bed, he was on the side facing the door. You had always slept on the side away from the door and you felt a weird satisfaction because he naturally chose the other side. You scooted closer to the pillow and helped with your hands your legs on the bed. Ryan held the blanket up so you could slide your legs comfortably underneath the thick blanket. You rested you head on the pillows and watched Ryan stand up and walk to the light switch beside the door to turn of the ceiling light. He was wearing his t-shirt and boxers and you could see s ton of scars on his legs. You wondered about the origins of them as he returned into the bed.

After he had slipped underneath the blanket you shifted yourself so that he held you. He didn’t pause for a moment as he turned off the bedside lamp making the room pitch black. He wrapped his arms around you and you sighed happily into his chest.

“Get some sleep dove.” he said and you felt the rumbles on his chest. His breathing was even and it helped you relax.

“Dove?” you asked after a few seconds of silence. He chuckled and hugged you tighter for a moment.

“It’s just something I call you. Not around the crew of course. If that’s alright with you of course?” he asked in the darkness. The warmth of his body felt nice against you and you breathed in his scent. It was a mix between his cologne and gunpowder. His chin was against the top of your head and you could feel his stubble mixing with your hair. You thought about the nickname for a while.

“I like it.” you said after a while and you could feel that he smiled. You smiled against his chest and relaxed. Something told you that you would sleep well this night.

 


	16. Morning surprises

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and Ryan engage in some morning activities.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1) Thanks again for the kudos and reads. I love you all.  
> 2) Wow, my muse hasn't left me yet? Must be a record of some kind.   
> 3) Warning for smut. Not very good smut since I haven't written smut in years so I'm a bit rusty. Don't go too hard on me.   
> 4) I've mapped out a preliminary road map for the story for the next five or so chapters and I need your input on it. Somehow my mind tells me to write this kinda violent and graphic story line (includes torture and other awfulness) but I'm not sure if you guys want to read that. So I've made a strawpoll for you guys to take so I know more about how far I can take it. Thanks in advance!  
> The strawpoll link: http://strawpoll.me/4908969 (also linked in the end notes.)

A few weeks later you woke up in the middle of the night to a phones shrill ringing. You were confused for a moment before realizing that it wasn’t yours and relaxed slightly but the warm mass beside you huffed annoyed as he shook the sleep away. He reached for the phone and you winced as you lost skin to skin contact. The cool air felt even colder than you knew it was after a long night of cuddles.

Ryan had stayed overnight tonight as it had been way too late for him to make the drive and get enough sleep. This wasn’t very unusual but it wasn’t regular either. Once or twice a week he’d stay over and you’d sleep in the same bed cuddling and spooning but nothing more had happened. You enjoyed the relaxing pace and after you had talked about it with him one night you had found out that he enjoyed it as well. It was a nice change to the usual fast pace and hurry in your lives to just relax and enjoy the moment. Not that you two hadn’t kissed before but neither of you felt pressure to take the relationship further. You agreed to let things happen when they happened naturally.

Your relationship wasn’t a very well-kept secret, and almost everybody inside your crews knew about it but you were making sure this information didn’t leave the crew. You couldn’t imagine the damage it would do to everybody involved if the general public was to know about this. Most of your friends and colleagues were just happy that you two had “finally” gotten together as it seemed that most of them had been rooting for you. You didn’t know how to feel about that.

The bedside lamp turned on and the light blinded you two slightly but helped to combat the grogginess. Ryan’s strong back muscles flexed as he reached for the buzzing phone. You leaned back against the pillows as he answered the phone with yawn. Apparently it wasn’t anybody to whom he needed to keep up the act of being a psychopath. Your thoughts were confirmed by frantic British yelling coming from the phone. Ryan rubbed his eyes tiredly and with a sigh he told Gavin to hold on and that he would be there soon.

After he ended the call he looked over at you laying on the bed beside him. You smiled at him and reached out to touch his arm that he was leaning on to remain half seated. He closed his eyes with a sleepy smile as you rubbed your thumb over the still sleep warm skin.

“I don’t want to leave. I don’t care about what ever emergency they’re having. I just want to be here in the warmth with you forever.”

“Don’t be ridiculous Ryan.” you laughed and threw the blanket off. You felt your skin react to the colder air around you as you reached for the boots beside the bed. The scars on your shins were starting to get slightly lighter but you could feel that these scars would be there forever. They were too deep and too wide to completely fade away but you didn’t think much of it. Ryan’s body was riddled with scars with even more interesting stories and he had told you that your scars were beautiful as well.

“What is it this time?” you asked the reluctant man on your bed but his answer came from closer than you thought. You felt him shift so that he was seated right behind you. Ryan placed feather light kisses on your shoulders and wrapped his strong and tanned arms around your waist. You dropped the boot in your hand as you hugged his arms and leaned back against his chest. His breathing was even as he continued to pepper your skin with warm kisses. You sighed contently and he rested his chin on your left shoulder. You rested your cheek against his as you both looked out of the window to see the sun start to peek above the horizon. Must be fucking early, you thought and even though you weren’t much for early mornings you could appreciate this moment.

“Gavin said something about cops and that ‘Micoo’ and him were at the police station. I’m guessing they need someone to bail them out and they didn’t want to call Jack or Geoff as this is their third time in two weeks and they would be pissed.”

You felt his chuckle vibrate your back as you laughed with him. That did sound like the two best friends. As he shifted his body to be more comfortable you could feel something hard poke you in the back.

“You don’t seem to be in a hurry to save them from the cops.” you commented with a smiled as you shifted your hips to make more contact with him. His grip on you tightened as he leaned back before kissing that sweet spot on your neck. You tilted your head to the right to give him more room and a content moan escaped your mouth. You felt him grin against your skin and that made your temperature rise higher. He continued his assault on your neck as you leaned into his touch all thoughts about an early breakfast gone from your mind.

“You’re gonna be late if you continue.” you whispered. Your body and mind was screaming for him to continue, for him to escalate things and forget about the two morons in a LSPD holding cell. His hands slipped from your hands as they made their way under your top, his warm hands journeyed upward until they reached the underside of your breasts. You moaned as his hands cupped your breasts, his fingers massaging the soft skin and his thumbs brushed over your already hard nipples.

“Let them rot away for all I care” he all but growled into your ear and with one fluid movement you laid on you back with a very aroused Ryan flush against you. You tangled your fingers into his hair that was already a mess from sleeping. With a sharp tug you brought his lips to yours and hungrily kissed him. He groaned into your mouth as you slipped your tongue into his mouth. He tasted sweet as you pulled back and nibbled on his lower lip.

As you pulled away for air his eyes were glazed over with arousal and his lips were swollen. You were sure you looked the same as he dove back down to kiss your neck. Your dragged your hands from his hair to underneath his shirt and pulled it off with ease. You lifted your upper body to help him take your shirt off but he pushed you down immediately after the shirt was tossed elsewhere. His eyes roamed your now almost naked body and you felt the warmness spread between your legs as he hungrily memorized every inch of your body.

“So gorgeous” he mumbled as he placed sloppy kisses down your chest. As he took your nipple in his mouth you arched your back with a moan.

“As are you” you gasped as you ran your fingers all over his toned chest. You felt him hard against your hips and rubbed your hips against his hardness. He hissed into your chest and his fingers moved to your waistband and he impatiently tugged away your last piece of clothing.

His eyes well full of lust and wonder and you took advantage of that small moment and pushed him over and straddled him. His head was at the feet end of the bed and you rested your hands on either side of his chest as his hands cupped your hips. You grinded your hips down onto him as you leaned in to suck a hickey on his collarbone. He moaned and his hands tightened around your hips. You continued down on his chest placing small sloppy kisses on his chest and stomach until you reached his boxers.

“What do we have here?” you asked almost whispering as you ground down on his hardness once more and grabbed the waistband. You tugged away the boxers and his manhood sprung up and against his stomach. You sat down again a bit further on his thighs and grabbed his cock in your hand giving it a few quick strokes as he twitched against your hold. Without warning you took him into your mouth and he moaned out a string of curses and he grabbed the sheets around you with an iron grip.

You bobbed your head down with a steady rhythm watching his face the whole time. He kept swearing and grunting and as you sped up for pace his eyes shot open and he looked down to meet your eyes. You smiled coyly against his member and made sure to drag your tongue on the underside of the cock tracing the throbbing vein there and circle his head before taking him deep.

The noise he made was animalistic as he grabbed your hair and yanked you up from him. His cock made a plop as your mouth was lifted of it.

“I need to be inside you. Now.” he growled at you and you felt a gush of wetness as his voice made you aroused. His eyes had a feral look as his gaze ate you up. He sat up and pushed you down into the pillows and dipped his fingers inside you.

You gasped at the contact as his fingers continued to explore you inside and out. His thumb brushed against your clit and the contact made you moan loudly and arch your back thrusting your hips into his hands. His deep aroused chuckle made you shiver as he grabbed your hips with his hands and angled himself before thrusting into you.

Your moans combined with his as he filled you completely. You grabbed his neck and brought his head down so that you could kiss him. You wrapped your thighs around him as you adjusted to his size. He kissed you hard as you wrapped your arms around his neck one hand tangling into his hair and the other roaming his back. He started to slowly thrust into you and with every thrust the pleasure grew and grew.

He groaned louder and louder as you felt your edge coming up and fast. You kept repeating his name between moans and whimpers as he continued to pick up the pace.

“Ryan… I’m close, fuck I’m close” you moaned as he thrust into you. You felt his hand reach down and with a few skilful flicks you were over screaming out his name. You dug your nails into his skin as you rode out wave after wave of bliss. You felt Ryan finish a few thrusts later, collapsing onto you also repeating your name.

It took a while for you to regain complete consciousness. Ryan rolled over and you both laid there sweaty and panting. Your chest heaved as you gulped down much needed air. You rolled over and draped your arm over his chest and rested your head on his shoulder. He was in the same boat with you, both of you enjoying the last waves of pleasure. His arm hugged you tighter against you and you both enjoyed the silence. It was you who broke it after minutes of silence.

“Wow.”

He laughed breathlessly and leaned down and kissed you. The kiss was sloppy but intense. He tasted sweet but the sweat on his lips left a saltiness. His hand cupped your chin and you loved how well your chin fit into his palm. After you broke for air he placed small kisses on your nose and forehead before looking at his phone.

“I’m so late.” he said and you laughed and poked his chest playfully.

“I told you so.”

“You’re lucky you’re so goddamn beautiful.” he answered with a quick peck on your lips before standing up from the bed leaving you laying there on your stomach. “I’m going to clean up and then I really have to go.”

You watched him walk into the bathroom with a smirk on your face. His hips moved in a way you hadn’t seen them move with his clothes on. The muscles on his back moved in synchronisation and were super noticeable in the morning light pouring from the windows.

“It’s rude to stare.” he told you as he turned around at the door. You only smiled back at him.

“Just admiring the view.” you answered him and with a laugh he disappeared into the bathroom. You could hear the water running in the shower and you rolled over to your back. You could feel the soreness creeping in and were happy that this was the day Adam had appointed to getting rid the boots. You rubbed your face and just couldn’t stop smiling. Today was going to be an amazing day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please vote on the strawpoll :) Here's the link once more: http://strawpoll.me/4908969


	17. Truly fucked up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Morning afters, check ups and dinner plans.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woop! Another chapter pumped out for you guys. This one's a bit on the shorter side and more of a filler-kind but I promise that things are gonna hit the fan within the next few chapters. When I get around to finishing them. Just struggling with some of the dialogue and then it should be clear skies. 
> 
> Anyhow, thanks again for the kudos. <3 you all.

Ryan showered quickly and within five minutes he was out of the shower and pulling his pants on. You remained in your bed, still glowing with serenity, and watched him hop into his pants and sit down on the bed to put on his shoes. You couldn’t stop staring at his tanned skin that was surprisingly dark even though you couldn’t imagine him sunbathing on the beach. You traced some of his scars on his back with your eyes as he was bent over. There were many, too many to count. Some were long like he had gotten caught in something sharp, some were smooth and thin like cuts from knives.

“Someday I’d like to hear some of the stories behind your scars.” you told him as he stood up. He turned to look at you with a smile, taking in the sight of you lying there with a huge smile completely naked and sweaty. God, your hair must be a mess, you thought as he leaned in and kissed you tenderly.

“As long as you tell me yours.” he said and looked for his t-shirt. He moved around the room and you kept your eyes on him. He moved with such grace that was unusual for a man of his size that you couldn’t help but to look in awe. You wondered if you moved with grace or with something else entirely. You made a mental note to ask him later.

“Not all of my stories are very pleasant.” you told him hesitantly as he found his shirt behind the ottoman. You wondered how it got so far. He laughed softly as he pulled the t-shirt on.

“And you think mine are?”

You couldn’t help but to laugh as well. The thought that his stories were worse than yours amused you but you could help but to agree that maybe both of your stories were awful but in a different way. You doubted he had scars of several days of relentless torture but you didn’t want to ruin the moment.

“We are truly fucked up aren’t we?” you asked him as he pulled on his jacket. It was getting colder outside, not super cold though as you were in the south but the winter storms were coming. They had even predicted snow this year and that had made you very happy.

“We are. But that’s what makes us stronger.” Ryan replied with a hint of sadness in his voice that was gone before it even started. You could appreciate the sadness, as life had kicked you both around a lot.

“Ugh, I have to go.” Ryan groaned as he pocketed his phone and keys from the nightstand. He leaned in for another kiss but this time you reached up and cupped his face. This kiss was more passionate and you didn’t let him go until it was absolutely necessary to breathe. “I want to stay so bad…”

“Go!” you laughed at his whine.

“I’m going. I’m gonna text you as soon as I know if I’ll make it over tonight.” he replied and pecked a quick kiss on your forehead. “Have a lovely day my dove and good luck with Adam and the boots.”

As soon as he was out of the door you stretched and sighed. It was going to be a long day but somehow you knew it was going to be alright. It might be the post-climax part of your brain talking but it felt like no one could stop you today. You rolled carefully on the edge of the bed closest to the bathroom and carefully walked into it. You didn’t bother with the boots as they were coming off today and because you didn’t need them anymore. You started to fill your bathtub as you chose a bath bomb for yourself. You chose a vanilla scented one and watched as it dissolved into the warm water lost deep in thought.

 

 

It was still early as you made the descend to the kitchen to get some breakfast. You had put the boots on after the bath as you felt it would be disrespectful to Adam if you didn’t have them on before he told you it was okay to not continue with them. You had also put on a pair of jeans shorts and a loose white baseball shirt with dark grey sleeves. As it was quite cold outside you planned on changing into jeans later when you got the check-up over with.

As you sat down on the couch in the living room you turned on the huge TV on the wall. You flicked between channels until you found the news channel. You watched the TV with half of your attention as you munched down the day old croissant with coffee letting your hair dry naturally. The TV was filled with news of economical collapses around the world that didn’t catch your attention for long. Instead you looked out of the window and watched as a lonely boat cruised on the lake.

The clock on the wall told you that it was just before 6 AM. The house was starting to wake up and you saw a few sleepy members climb out of the basement. You greeted them all as they took their turn in the kitchen, some of them just taking take-away cups of coffee as others made more full breakfasts. Miles and Taylor sat down with you for a moment before they realized that they were supposed to relieve the stakeout crew in Chumash. You shook your head as you watched them run out of the house already late.

The news didn’t tell you anything that you didn’t know already. Since your return you had caught up on news. The uneasiness over the lack of news from the streets didn’t go away. As you thought that like he knew you were thinking of it, Lawrence sent you a text detailing that there were whispers of someone new on the streets by the harbour. You thanked him and called Lindsay but got her voicemail.

“Hey it’s me. Call me when you have the chance. Not within the next hour though, I’ve got a meeting.”

You got a new cup of coffee as you hung up and sat by the island in the kitchen watching the flow of the crew as they all got to work. You answered a few questions and made sure a few of the newer members knew what they were doing today. You marvelled over that this was by your doing, that you had been able to pull anything like this off. Adam walked in through the front door and disrupted your thoughts.

“Ready for the check up?” he asked with a too cheery voice for this early. You nodded and took your coffee cup with you as you walked together down the stairs to the infirmary. Adam was talking about how he had been stuck in traffic because there had been an accident in Sandy Shores. You didn’t bother with the details as it was hardly your business. He on the other hand waved his take-away cup with pent up anger making you worry about him spilling it on the walls.

Adam turned on the lights in the infirmary and went to put away his jacket and bag. You sat down on the bed you had lied on for weeks. You took a sip of the coffee as you watched Adam turn on the equipment that he needed to have on later. You didn’t mind as you weren’t in a rush to get to the office to go over the accounting that Elliot needed checked. It didn’t take him long though and he rolled out of the office sitting on a stool.

 

The check-up itself wasn’t much to think about. It was clear that you both thought that it was time for you to get out of the boots. With a few tests and walking in front of him he was satisfied by the recovery.

“No running yet though. And if you feel tired sit down for a while and rest.” he told you as he made marks in your records. You hopped carefully down from the bed and thanked him before you made your way up to your room to change into jeans.

You checked your phone as you walked down the stairs. Nothing important and no call from Lindsay yet. You pocketed the phone for a while as you sat down in the crew space on the first floor. You had a little corner for yourself and you pulled up the reports that you needed to go through.

 

You felt your pocket vibrate a few hours later and you appreciated the break from the numbers. The caller ID told you it was Lindsay calling.

“Hey.” You answered and stood up. You didn’t want to bother the on call crew. You logged off the computer and flashed a smile to Greene and Kovic as they looked up from their screens. You walked out on the back porch.

“Hey yourself.” Lindsay answered cheerily. “You wanted to talk?”

“Yeah. I got a message this morning from my eyes on the street that there’s something moving around the harbour and though you might want to know if you didn’t already know that.”

The breeze whipped your hair as you opened the door and stepped out into the coldness and you immediately wished that you had brought a jacket with you. The solitary boat was still on the lake, probably fishing you thought. You didn’t understand how people found that relaxing.

“I’ve heard that rumour too.” Lindsay answered and you heard keyboard clicks in the background. “But thanks on the heads up. Hey before you go, you doing anything this evening around six or so?”

You thought about your day and went through the shifts. There wasn’t anything special going on, a few stakeouts and that Elliot was on holiday for a few days but since you had finished everything she had left for you already you didn’t see any problems with it. Blue was still training with her group off shore but you knew that Adam was up to the task of keeping things in line if needed.

“Not that I can think of. Why?”

“Wanna grab dinner? I’ve got news I don’t want to tell over the phone and also we haven’t seen each other in weeks.” Lindsay said with mock sadness in her voice and you smiled. How could you resist a chance to get out of the house _and_ have fun with a friend over amazing food?

“That’s true and absolutely. I’ll pick you up round six or is that not a good time for you?”

“It’s wonderful. I know just the perfect place so I’ll make the reservation. Gotta go as work calls but I’ll see you later!”

“See you!” you replied and hung up on her. Even though the weather was cold you didn’t rush to get inside again. The coldness felt invigorating against your skin and you stayed outside for a bit. The boat on the lake seemed to head back for the Shore and you watched it struggle against the waves. Just as it neared the docks you turned away with a sigh and walked back inside to check on the crew.


	18. News and diamonds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> News are best told in the company of friends over dinner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all again for the comments and kudos. This chapter is longer than usual and it's been a while since I've struggled as much with a chapter. I think it turned out alright though. There might be some delay on the next one as I've gotten RvB on the brain (again) but I'll do my bestest.

The sun was blinding in your eyes as you sped down Los Santos freeway on you way to pick up Lindsay for dinner. You lowered the sun visor to block most of the sun. Your hair whipped in the wind as you let out an excited laugh as you pushed down on the pedal. Immediately the car lunged forward as you gripped tighter on the wheel. It had been weeks, no months since you last drove and the familiar high of the speed flowed through your body. Your knuckles were white as your gripped the smooth leather covering the wheel with pent up excitement. You lowered your sunglasses with a swift movement as you reached the stretch between the prison and the wind farm just before the road forked into two.

The roof of the convertible was down but you didn’t mind the chill of the wind. You had your black leather jacket on that blocked the coldness so you could enjoy the feeling of the air hitting your face. Adam would probably have a fit over this, as he seemed overly anxious every year of somebody getting a cold and then spreading it to the whole crew. You laughed over that thought as it vanished from your head as quickly as it had arrived.

The traffic was bearable as you manoeuvred between slower cars with ease. Your legs were still a bit stiff but luckily you hadn’t much trouble with the pedals. The mountains loomed over you as you sped down the road between them. You slowed down though only a bit before you veered off to take the exit onto Del Perro as you were meeting Lindsay outside her and Michael’s apartment in downtown Los Santos.

The traffic was worse here than on the other freeway but you didn’t slow down. You gripped the wheel tighter and your body followed the turns you make, your hair whipping with the motion as well as the wind. The wind wasn’t as noticeable here as it was outside the city as the high-rises blocked most of it. As you reached the point where the lanes weren’t blocked with cement dividers you pulled your handbrake and made an U-turn into the lanes going in the opposite way to catch a convenient ramp into the city. You floored it as you accelerated into the traffic. Behind you heard loud honking but that only made you smile wider.

Your attention shifted from the idiot in front of you to the blue sports car speeding beside you. As you turned your head to look at it the car’s windows rolled down and a smiling Jack waved at you. You laughed as you waved back at him yelling at him that you’re going to Lindsay’s. He only had time to mouth the words before your competitive side emerged as you pushed the pedal harder speeding onto the ramp that allowed you to exit the freeway to downtown LS.

You heard Jack accelerate between the cars behind you as you turned sharply right nearly hitting a delivery truck head on. The adrenaline rushing through your veins enhanced your reflexes as you accelerated between the lanes filled with cars. You barely paid any attention to the lights in the crossing as you sped over it dodging oncoming cars. Jack was right on your tail as you made the last turn to the street where Michael’s apartment was. You screeched to a halt in front of the doors and barely a second later Jack stopped beside you.

The rush made you laugh out loud and Jack joined in. You glanced at the rear view mirror and saw that your hair was a complete mess from the wind. With your hand you quickly smoothed out the worst bits as Jack leaned out from the passenger side window.

“Remind me to never challenge you to an impromptu race ever again.” he laughed and waved you a goodbye as the door to the building opened and Lindsay hurried out. She was wearing a great fitting pair of light jeans and a loose fitting grey long-sleeved shirt. She hopped down to the passenger seat even though she was wearing a pair of absurdly high heels.

“Love the heels” you commented as you turned the car back on. Lindsay laughed beside you as she got comfortable in the seat.

“Thanks, got them at Ponsonbys last fall. Hey let’s get going, I reserved us seats at the new restaurant at Chumash, that one that has the cute tables outside the restaurant overlooking the ocean?”

You nodded at her description and sped down the street heading south to catch the Great Ocean highway at the pier. The sun peeked through between the buildings as the buildings got progressively shorter and more colourful as you neared the beach. Lindsay talked about her day, complaining about how she had had to go help Kerry steal some cars for a future heist. She went on about how Kerry had mistakenly gotten into a car with a hooker and how she had taken video of the flustered man before helping him get out of the deal. You laughed so hard your stomach hurt as you merged onto the highway and you reminded Lindsay to show you the clip.

The sun was behind you as you continued on driving down the highway thanking the gods that the traffic was worse going the other way. It wasn’t long before you pulled into the parking lot.

“…and I swear to God he laughed! I mean Ryan laughed. It’s not that uncommon but for god’s sake the pun was _horrible_. I kept saying to the guys that you would be good for him but they didn’t listen, well not before that. He’s so much more relaxed, I have known the guy for years but he seems to have more life to him than he has had before.”

“Really?” You asked Lindsay as you clicked the doors shut and walked around the car to her. You felt oddly giddy by her words, a small smile tugging on your lips. Ryan had made your step lighter that much you knew but you felt oddly proud about the facts Lindsay just told you.

“Yeah really.” She said with a wide smile as she bumped her shoulder against yours as you walked over to the restaurant doors. The guy standing by the door looked nervous as you approached but you assumed that it was because you were with Lindsay. They didn’t know who you were, there was no way but the attention felt nerve-wracking. Lindsay seemed to notice your discomfort as she placed a hand on your shoulder.

“Don’t worry, I booked the place with my name and they didn’t ask anything more. If someone asks we’ll just say you’re my cousin or something.”

You nodded thankfully at her as the guy opened the door. The restaurant was dim inside but you followed Lindsay as you made your way to the open balcony overlooking the sea.

The view was breath-taking, the sea brushing the sandy beach with a rhythm that only nature could achieve. The balcony was empty despite it being dinner time and you guessed that the word had spread that Lindsay would be dining here. The staff looked nervous as you walked by them and you couldn’t blame them. Lindsay held herself in a royal way, her shoulders back and confident. She breathed in the fresh air as she smiled over at you motioning to a table at just the perfect spot; it had the greatest view and was close to a possible exit if things went south.

You sat down at the small table clad with a white tablecloth and decorated with fresh flowers. The hot pink enhanced the blueness of the sea and the whiteness of the building and the tablecloth. Lindsay sat opposite you picking up the menu from the wooden holder on the table.

“I’m feeling up for fish” she muttered as you dove into the menu looking for something that sparked your interest. You hadn’t eaten today and the hunger was creeping up on you.

As the nervous waiter left with your orders, fresh cod for Lindsay and chicken for you as well as appetizers, you turned your attention back to Lindsay.

“So you told me on the phone that you had some important news to tell me…?” you asked with a cautious smile. You hated surprises and hoped that this wasn’t one of the negative kind. You mind had been running all kinds of worst case scenarios all day and you wanted to be informed already.

Lindsay looked out at the restaurant doors, making sure that they were alone and that nobody would hear her. Your pulse was overly high as you panicked over what could be so worth keeping secret.

“I wanted to be the one to tell you as between us girls as Michael is telling the guys tonight.” she started with a hush tone. You leaned in mimicking her. You glanced over at the doors confirming that you were still alone. “The news is that I’m pregnant!”

You gasped as relief over that nothing horrible was happening washed over you as well as a huge delight for the pair. You hadn’t been friends for that long but you knew a lot about their history and you couldn’t think of a more perfect couple.

“Oh my god that so awesome!” you exclaimed as you rushed over to hug her. Lindsay embraced you with a heart-warming laugh. “I’m so excited for you!”

“Well we are as well.” she laughed as you let go of her returning to your seat. “I mean we haven’t been trying with our work being what it is…”

You fell silent as the server came back with your appetizers. You thanked him and watched him scurry away before continuing.

“Yeah, I get that starting a family is kinda hard with our profession.” you said as you started to devour the delicious appetizers. You sipped on the wine you had ordered, careful of not drinking too much for it to be difficult to drive home. Lindsay opted out of the wine, sipping on iced water instead. “How far along are you?”

“I’m four months in. This seemed like the best time anyways, no point in delaying this as there’s no guarantee of the future. And as we’re on the subject of the future, we’ve been thinking of possible godparents and Michael asked me to ask you if you would be interested?”

Lindsay looked slightly nervous as you froze at the question. It had totally surprised you as you hadn’t known each other for all that long and you were in the same danger workwise as they were.

“I mean it would be my honour” you cleared your throat. “But are you sure? I’m no better suited than you, I run a gang for god sake.”

You lowered your voice as you glanced around not wanting any outsiders to hear that. Lindsay sipped on her water as she stared out at the sea.

“We feel like you would be the perfect fit. Michael’s gonna ask Gavin and Geoff tonight as well so you’re not going to be alone. And we felt like it would be good to have someone outside the AH in case something was to happen. And on top of that you’re our friend! You’re better suited than Gavin on this one when it comes to actually being able to take care of the baby and we have total faith in you being the most awesomest godmother ever.”

Lindsay’s speech ended with a surprising amount of excitement that rubbed off. You felt proud over that they had chosen you to this and felt even happier over that they considered you to be their friend. You had spent a lot of time together and clicked really well but confirmation was always nice.

“Well of course I’ll be the godmother.” you smiled at Lindsay who looked overly pleased. You elapsed into comfortable discussion over the future as you waited for your entrées to arrive.

* * *

 

 You watched the stars twinkle in the sky as you laid down on the tiles on the roof back home. You rested your head on your arms as you laid on your back with only the sky above you. The air was cool and you thanked past-you for thinking of bringing the blanket that was on the armchair with you as you had climbed up to the roof from your balcony.

This was something that you did regularly before you had broken your legs. The house felt claustrophobic sometimes with the bustling downstairs area and the multiple people running around. It was nice to have some space for yourself once in a while especially after a busy day.

Today had been great as you had predicted this morning. Waking up next to Ryan, the morning sex, the bath, the drive and most of all the news had all contributed to making this a day you wouldn’t forget in a while.

Lindsay’s news had been on your mind the whole ride back north as the sun set behind you. You felt honoured over their choice as well as terrified over the prospect of having to keep an eye on a Jones sometime in the near future. You didn’t have much experience with children and the thought of possibly having to take care of the child if something went wrong with their parents was daunting to say the least.

But the positive feelings overweighed the negatives. You smiled at the stars shining down on you. The happiness for the couple, the joy you had felt radiated from Lindsay made your heart warm. You had a feeling that the child would be so spoiled as it would have two crews filled with overly caring individuals wanting only the best for the child.

“Babe?” you heard from underneath you. You leaned over and yelled that you were on the roof. You saw his hands reach up and grab the roof before his ruffled hair poked over the edge. His face broke into a huge smile as he saw you and you smiled back at him. He lifted himself on the roof with ease and crawled over to you. As he laid down beside you, you scooted over to snuggle against his side. He had his arm around you as you threw your arm over his chest.

For a while you just laid there in comfortable silence as you watched the sparkly spots dance in the sky. For a moment they looked just like diamonds. Ryan’s breath was even as his chest moved up and down steadily. His warmth felt incredibly nice on your skin as you pulled the blanket over both of you. His shirt smelled of gunpowder and alcohol and even though he didn’t drink it sort of fit his smell. There was the unmistakable smell of a car mixed with his natural smell and the mixture of all of them made one incredible scent.

“So I head you’re going to be adding godmother to your CV.” he said jokingly and hugged you tighter into his chest. You rubbed your hand on his ribs as you both chuckled.

“I guess so.” you answered continuing the lazy strokes. “I didn’t guess they would ask me though. But I’m incredibly happy for them.”

Ryan was silent for a moment, the only sounds being his heartbeat loud in your ear and the sounds of the crickets in the distance. This moment felt magical and you hoped that this would be a regular thing in the future.

“They wanted you to be the godparent from since they knew.” Ryan stated. “Michael told me that tonight when he told us all about the news. Geoff started crying you know but don’t tell me that I told you that.”

You both laughed. You knew that the man had strong feelings about his whole crew but especially the curly haired angry one so that wasn’t surprising at all. After a while it was you who broke the silence.

“Lindsay told me that you’ve been happier recently.” His hand stilled for a split second before he took your chin carefully into his hand turning your head up. His lips touched yours gently and without rush. The kiss was tender and loving, the kind that made shivers run down your spine and made you believe in all of those sappy romantic comedies. After he broke the kiss he kissed the tip of your nose and your forehead.

He rested his forehead against yours and his eyes sparkled in the darkness.

“That’s because I am happier. I’m so much happier when I’m with you and when I’m not with you you’re all that I can think of.”

The words died in your throat as you opened your mouth to say something. Instead you leaned in and placed a kiss on his lips. Your hand gripped his shirt as his tightened around you.

“As do I.” you breathed with a smile against his lips.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you liked it! Constructive comments and improvements are more than welcome in the comment section! I'll try to update this as regularly as I can, though my studies might limit me to writing on week-ends.


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